Fresh from a strong 1-1 draw against Real Madrid, Al-Hilal return to action on Sunday for an important Club World Cup group stage match against Red Bull Salzburg. The Saudi team aims to build on their solid start under new manager Simone Inzaghi, who had a promising debut.
Salzburg eye early qualification
Meanwhile, Red Bull Salzburg come in with momentum after narrowly defeating Pachuca 2-1 in their opening match, thanks to goals from Oscar Gloukh and Karim Onisiwo. This victory places the Austrian team at the top of Group H with three points. They will secure a spot in the round of 16 if they beat Al-Hilal in Charlotte.
Salzburg have scored in 16 straight matches across all competitions and are expected to be a constant attacking threat. However, their defense is a concern, with just one clean sheet in their last nine games.
Inzaghi aiming for first win with Al-Hilal
New head coach Simone Inzaghi is eager to achieve his first win with Al-Hilal. His team appeared confident and organized against European champions Real Madrid, leveling the score with a penalty from Ruben Neves after initially conceding to Gonzalo Garcia.
Al-Hilal have gone six matches unbeaten since their AFC Champions League semi-final exit to Al-Ahli. They have scored in each of their last 15 competitive fixtures, demonstrating their attacking strength.
Inzaghi also has personal experience against Salzburg, having won three of four previous matches as a manager.
Red Bull Salzburg (probable XI):
Zawieschitzky; Lainer, Gadou, Ramussen, Kratzig; Bidstrup, Diabate; Dorgeles, Gloukh; Onisiwo, Vertessen
Al-Hilal (probable XI):
Bono; Cancelo, Tambakti, Koulibaly, Lodi; Neves, Nasser Al-Dawsari; Malcolm, Milinkovic-Savic, Salem Al-Dawsari; Marcos Leonardo
