Omani star Imad Al-Hosni, former player of Al-Ahli Saudi Club, confirmed that Al-Hilal missed their former Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic in the match against Al-Shabab due to his ability to penetrate the opponent's defense during defensive formations.

Al-Hosni said in his remarks: "The Al-Hilal team struggled greatly against Al-Shabab due to their defensive setup."

He added: "In the past, Al-Hilal was strong against teams that defended deeply, excelling in aerial play and effectively breaking through the opponents' defense."

He continued: "Al-Hilal has signed Darwin Nunez, who is a good striker, but I believe Mitrovic is stronger in terms of scoring, and the team has missed him a lot."

Al-Hosni concluded his remarks by saying: "Al-Hilal made a significant mistake in letting go of Mitrovic, who has a high goal-scoring instinct."

Mitrovic left Al-Hilal to join Qatari club Al-Rayan during the last summer transfer window.