Alfayha Alhilal: referee, Mandash and Roshn League clash
Al Fayha host Al Hilal on Thursday in the second round of the Saudi Roshn League at Al-Majmaah Sports City Stadium, with Dutch referee Danny Makkelie in charge and Simone Inzaghi naming Sultan Mandash to replace departed winger Malcom—key alfayha alhilal talking points ahead of kick-off.
Key Takeaways
- Al Hilal travel to Al Fayha for round two of the Roshn Saudi Pro League on Thursday.
- Danny Makkelie referees; across eight prior Al Hilal games he oversaw four wins, two draws and two losses.
- Inzaghi keeps a familiar XI, with Sultan Mandash starting on the right in Malcom’s place.
- Al Hilal chase a second straight league win after opening with a victory over Al-Faisaly.
Why does the alfayha alhilal referee choice matter?
According to Goal.com, citing Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah, Makkelie will be assisted by Hessel Steegstra and Jan de Vries, with Ivan Bebek on VAR and Mohammed Abu Shukara as fourth official. BBC Sport lists the same match officials for the fixture.
Makkelie has taken charge of eight Al Hilal matches across four tournaments between 2018 and 2025. The club won four of those, a 50% success rate, and drew or lost twice each. One loss was a five-goal defeat to Al-Taawoun in the 2019 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup semi-final; another was a 2-1 Club World Cup quarter-final exit to Fluminense. He also oversaw Al Hilal’s 2022 Saudi Super Cup win over Al-Faisaly on penalties.
What line-up has Inzaghi picked against Al Fayha?
LiveScore reports that Inzaghi named Mandash on the right wing to fill the gap left by Brazilian Malcom de Oliveira’s departure, while otherwise keeping faith with the previous starting XI. Al Hilal’s listed side: Yassine Bounou; Moteb Al-Harbi, Ali Lajami, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mohammed Mahzari; Mohammed Kanno, Rúben Neves, Sergej Milinković-Savić; Crysencio Summerville, Karim Benzema, Sultan Mandash.
BBC Sport shows Al Fayha under Fábio Carille in a 4-4-2, with O. Mosquera in goal and a front line including F. Sakala and Lázaro. Full squad details and formations appear on the BBC’s match centre for this Saudi Pro League meeting.
What is at stake in this Saudi Pro League meeting?
Al Hilal opened the campaign by beating Al-Faisaly and are chasing a second straight league win, LiveScore notes. For Al Fayha, hosting Al Hilal in round two at Al-Majmaah Sports City Stadium is an early-season test against one of the league’s strongest sides.
Fans following celebrity-sport crossover coverage can browse more on our Celebrity Breaking News hub. For live stats, tables and head-to-head tools, the BBC Sport live page for Al Fayha vs Al Hilal remains the primary match feed.