Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — Defending champions Al Hilal kicked off their King’s Cup campaign with a hard-fought away victory against Al Bukayriyah, a team from the first division, winning by a single goal scored by Brazilian Marcos Leonardo from the penalty spot.
The only goal of the match came in the 40th minute after Abdullah Al Hamdan was fouled, leading to the penalty awarded to Al Hilal. Leonardo stepped up to convert it successfully, marking the start of his scoring journey in this season’s King’s Cup.
Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus opted to rest several key players for the match, including Brazilian Malcom and Portuguese Neves, while goalkeeper Yassine Bono, along with Mitrovic, Lodi, and Salem Al-Dosari, remained on the bench.