Al-Hilal's captain, international star Salem Al-Dawsari, finally broke his long-standing penalty-striking curse, overcoming a nearly 10-month drought of missed penalties. This came after "The Tornado" scored his team's second goal against arch-rivals Al-Nassr in the thrilling Riyadh derby of the 15th round of the Saudi Professional League. The match ended in a resounding 3-1 victory for the league leaders, Al-Hilal.
Restoring confidence after a long absence
This goal marked a pivotal moment in Al-Dawsari's season, as it was his 20th career goal from the penalty spot and his first in nearly 300 days. This return is particularly significant given its timing and against a direct rival, boosting the player's confidence and demonstrating his ability to handle the immense pressure of high-profile derby matches.
Numbers speak louder than words: Salem's journey with penalty kicks
According to accurate statistics issued by the global website “Transfermarkt”, which specializes in football economics and numbers, the Al-Hilal captain has taken 30 penalty kicks throughout his illustrious professional career, missing 10 of them, while he succeeded in scoring the remaining 20, the most recent of which was the one that went into Al-Nasr’s net.
Going back a little, Salem missed the last penalty kick he took before this “derby” while wearing the national team jersey, in the Saudi national team’s match against its Australian counterpart on June 10, as part of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which created a great deal of psychological pressure on the player throughout the past period.
Historical record and goal distribution
Al-Dawsari's last successful penalty before this match was on March 11, 2025, during Al-Hilal's match against Pakhtakor Tashkent of Uzbekistan in the previous edition of the AFC Champions League. His penalty goals are distributed as follows: 15 successful goals out of 19 attempts taken while playing for Al-Hilal, and 5 goals out of 11 attempts taken while playing for the Saudi national team.
The importance of winning in the context of competition
The significance of this event extends beyond Salem Al-Dawsari's personal record; it also encompasses the impact of the result on the Roshan League standings. The derby victory widened Al-Hilal's points lead, solidified their domestic dominance, and sent a strong message to their rivals that "The Boss" possesses diverse scoring options, whether through open play or set pieces, spearheaded by the best player in Asia.
