Brazilian winger Malcom scored twice as Al Hilal recorded another impressive pre-season victory, beating African champions Mamelodi Sundowns 2-0 in Austria as preparations continue for the 2026-27 campaign.
The former Barcelona forward has now struck three times in two friendlies at the Saudi Pro League club’s overseas training camp, underlining his status as a key attacking threat for new head coach Simone Inzaghi.
Facing the South African champions on Friday at Al Hilal’s base in Austria, the Riyadh side controlled the contest and were rewarded when Malcom opened the scoring in the first half. The 27-year-old broke clear after a precise through ball from Serbia midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, before finishing past the Sundowns goalkeeper.
Malcom then made sure of the result after the interval, converting a low cross from new signing Sabri Dahl with a first-time finish to double Al Hilal’s advantage and complete his brace.
The goals followed Malcom’s strike in Al Hilal’s earlier 2-1 win over Austrian club Sturm Graz during the same training camp, taking his tally to three in two pre-season outings.
Inzaghi hands minutes to new arrivals
Italian coach Inzaghi used the meeting with Mamelodi Sundowns to rotate his squad and assess several players ahead of the new season, including recent additions.
Among those to feature was Saudi Arabia international goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais, who made his first appearance for Al Hilal when he came on in the second half. Inzaghi spread game time across his squad, offering opportunities to both established players and summer signings as he fine-tunes his options for domestic and continental competitions.
Al Hilal’s win over the South African side continued a strong start to pre-season, giving Inzaghi further evidence of his team’s attacking cohesion, particularly the growing understanding between Malcom and Milinkovic-Savic, as well as the early impact of Dahl from wide areas.
Remaining fixtures in Austria
Al Hilal, widely known by their nickname “Al-Za’eem” (The Boss), are midway through their external training camp in Austria, which forms a central part of the club’s build-up to the 2026-27 season.
The Saudi champions are scheduled to play two further friendlies before returning home. They will face Algerian side MC Alger on 29 July, followed by a match against Al Ahli SC of Qatar on 3 August.
These fixtures are expected to provide Inzaghi with additional chances to test tactical plans, build match fitness and integrate his new recruits, with Malcom’s sharp form already one of the standout features of Al Hilal’s pre-season programme.
