Al-Hilal Faces Al-Taawoun: Breaking the Curse of Consecutive Losses

Al-Hilal walk into Buraidah on Saturday carrying more than just league-leading form. They travel with a warning from their own history.

The Saudi Roshn League leaders face Al-Taawoun in the seventh round, days after their first stumble of the season – a 2-0 defeat to Neom on Monday in the sixth round. One loss can be brushed off. Two in a row? At Al-Hilal, that starts to feel like a crisis.

“The Boss” know this feeling all too well. They call it a curse for a reason.

The last time Al-Hilal lost back-to-back league matches was almost five years ago, a jarring episode that began against their fiercest rivals. In December 2021, they fell 2-0 to Al-Nassr, then immediately slipped again in the very next round, losing 3-2 to Al-Fateh. Two games, zero points, and a jolt to the club’s sense of invincibility.

Since that double blow, the Riyadh giants have built a remarkable response pattern in the league. Whenever they lose, they stop the bleeding straight away. No consecutive defeats. At worst, a draw in the following match. The slump never lasts longer than one round.

That record is now on the line in Buraidah.

Al-Hilal arrive at Al-Taawoun’s stadium sitting top of the Saudi Roshn League table on 15 points, ahead of Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsiah only on goal difference, with both rivals lurking in second and third. One more slip, and that narrow cushion could vanish in a single evening.

For the league leaders, this is more than just another away day. It’s a test of memory, mentality, and whether that five-year-old curse really is gone – or just waiting to be revived.