The atmosphere at the Al-Shabab Club Stadium was tense as Musab Al-Juwayr opened the scoring for the hosts in the third minute.
However, the league leaders swiftly responded, netting three goals before halftime.
Aleksandar Mitrovic converted a penalty after 20 minutes, and shortly after, he capitalized on a close-range opportunity, assisted by fellow Serbian Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Just before halftime, Milinkovic-Savic extended Al-Hilal’s lead with a close-range finish from a well-delivered cross by Ruben Neves.
Al-Hilal seemed unstoppable, especially when Salem Al-Dawsari added a fourth goal around the hour mark, expertly timing his run to connect with Michael’s precise pass.
Yet, Al-Shabab staged a comeback. Hussain Al-Sibyani found the net in the 61st minute, making it 4-2, and Romain Saiss narrowed the gap further with a superb free-kick 12 minutes before the final whistle. Despite the late pressure, Al-Hilal held on for the win.
Despite their victory, Al-Hilal's lead remains at 12 points, as Al-Nassr secured a 5-1 victory over Al-Tai. However, the Yellows had a slow start.
Otavio opened the scoring for Al-Nassr after 20 minutes, but just two minutes later, Virgil Misidjan equalized for the struggling visitors.
However, Al-Nassr quickly regained control, with Abdulrahman Ghareeb scoring just before halftime.
In the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo's two quick goals secured the three points for Luis Castro’s team. The legendary forward completed his hat-trick in the 87th minute, heading home at the far post to notch his 26th goal of the season and secure another victory for the Yellows.