Aleksandar Mitrovic scored twice as Al Hilal kickstarted the defence of their Saudi Pro League title with a comfortable 3-0 win against Al Okhdood.
Mitrovic, who netted a brace in Al Hilal's 4-1 win over Al-Nassr in the Saudi Super Cup final a week ago, got his league tally up and running in a rampant first half display.
The Serbian opened the scoring with just four minutes on the clock, steering the ball in from close range after being found by Abdullah Al Hamddan inside the area.
He doubled his total shortly before the break, combining again with Al Hamddan before producing a trademark header beyond the grasp of Paulo Vítor.
The triumph was confirmed after Sergej Milinkovic-Savic curled home an exquisite free-kick in first half injury time to net his 14th goal for the club.
Al Hilal failed to replicate their clinical showing after the interval with none of their five shots on target, but the damage had already been done in the first 45 minutes.
Data Debrief: Mitrovic continues incredible run
Since his move to Saudi Arabia from Fulham, Mitrovic has not stopped scoring, with his brace taking his tally to 30 goals in 29 Saudi Pro League appearances.
The visitors accumulated an expected goals (xG) of 1.94 in the encounter, with Mitrovic contributing 0.77 to that total with his four shots in the contest.
Reggae Boy Damion Lowe inks two-year deal with Al-Akhdoud in Saudi Pro League
Reggae Boyz Vice Captain Damion Lowe has officially joined the growing list of players making the move to the Saudi Professional League.
The 31-year-old defender signed with Al-Akhdoud on Friday, completing a transfer from Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Philadelphia Union. Lowe has committed to a two-year deal with the Saudi Pro League team, though the transfer fee remains undisclosed.
Lowe joins a wave of top-tier talent that has recently gravitated towards Saudi Arabia, following in the footsteps of global stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, and Sadio Mane. Among his compatriots, Reggae Boyz Demarai Gray and Andre Gray also made similar moves last summer.
Damion looks forward to the journey ahead.
"Playing in the Saudi Pro League is a thrilling new chapter in my career. I’m eager to bring my best to the pitch, embrace the culture, and make an impact both on and off the field. The recent passion for football there is incredible, and I can’t wait to be a part of it," Lowe said.
Al-Akhdoud is a Saudi Arabian football club based in Najran, located in the southern region of the country.
Paris Saint-Germain 6-0 Montpellier: Parisians continue impressive start without Mbappe
Bradley Barcola's first brace of his career helped Paris Saint-Germain maintain their winning start to the season as they thrashed Montpellier 6-0 on Friday.
Barcola opened the scoring in the fourth minute of the contest, with Marco Asensio doubling their advantage before the break.
The 21-year-old continued the scoring eight minutes after the break, as Achraf Hakimi, Warren Zaire-Emery and Lee Kang-in completed a dominant display.
It took four minutes for the first goal of the encounter as Barcola produced a fine finish, with Asensio adding their second after being picked out by Joao Neves.
Despite momentarily halting the onslaught, Barcola increased PSG's advantage shortly after the break with a simple finish from Ousmane Demebele's pass.
Hakimi netted the hosts' fourth with another fine finish, as Zaire-Emery got himself in on the act to strike beyond Benjamin Lecomte after a brilliant piece of skill.
Substitute Kang-in sealed the scoring eight minutes from time, sneaking a left-footed effort from the edge of the area in at Lecomte's near post.
Data Debrief: Barcola stars for Parisians
PSG have now scored 10 goals in their last two league games, as life without Kylian Mbappe has got off to a flying start under Luis Enrique.
Barcola showcased his undeniable talent during the contest, contributing 1.17 expected goals (xG) to PSG's 3.93 total - the highest of any player for the hosts.
The winger has eight goal involvements (five goals, three assists) in his last seven top-flight appearances for PSG, two more than in his first 20 for the club.
Paris Saint-Germain 6-0 Montpellier: Barcola brace helps continue impressive start without Mbappe
Bradley Barcola's first brace of his career helped Paris Saint-Germain maintain their winning start to the season as they thrashed Montpellier 6-0 on Friday.
Barcola opened the scoring in the fourth minute of the contest, with Marco Asensio doubling their advantage before the break.
The 21-year-old continued the scoring eight minutes after the break, as Achraf Hakimi, Warren Zaire-Emery and Lee Kang-in completed a dominant display.
It took four minutes for the first goal of the encounter as Barcola produced a fine finish, with Asensio adding their second after being picked out by Joao Neves.
Despite momentarily halting the onslaught, Barcola increased PSG's advantage shortly after the break with a simple finish from Ousmane Demebele's pass.
Hakimi netted the hosts' fourth with another fine finish, as Zaire-Emery got himself in on the act to strike beyond Benjamin Lecomte after a brilliant piece of skill.
Substitute Kang-in sealed the scoring eight minutes from time, sneaking a left-footed effort from the edge of the area in at Lecomte's near post.
Data Debrief: Barcola starts for Parisians
PSG have now scored 10 goals in their last two league games, as life without Kylian Mbappe has got off to a flying start under Luis Enrique.
Barcola showcased his undeniable talent during the contest, contributing 1.17 expected goals (xG) to PSG's 3.93 total - the highest of any player for the hosts.
The winger has eight goal involvements (five goals, three assists) in his last seven top-flight appearances for PSG, two more than in his first 20 for the club.
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