Galtier and Polka reveal the secret behind Neom's victory over Al Hilal

Neom defeated their hosts Al Hilal 2-0 during the match on Monday evening, in the sixth round of the Saudi Pro League, securing a historic win over the leaders of the competition.

French coach Christophe Galtier, manager of Neom, praised his players' mentality, stating that the victory over Al Hilal represents a great achievement, and hoping that the win will give his team an extra boost to raise their ambitions.

Christophe Galtier stated in the press conference: "I asked the players to make Al Hilal's task difficult, and these matches require some luck, and we were fortunate in this encounter."

The French coach explained that the pressure was greater on Al Hilal before the match, pointing out that Nyom delivered a strong defensive performance and capitalized on the opportunities that came his way, factors that helped him secure the victory.

Christophe Galtier has stated that his team has focused on set pieces during training since last season, confirming that Marcus Thuram has become more professional and mature compared to the previous season, especially against top teams.

Neom's coach spoke about the victory against one of the best teams in Asia, emphasizing that achieving such a result requires strong performance and luck. He pointed out that the team succeeded in combining defensive organization with taking advantage of opportunities.

Christophe Galtier praised Saudi coach Mazen, who is part of his coaching staff, stating that his ambition is great and that his experience helps the team, particularly in dealing with Saudi players and understanding the nature of the group.

Polish goalkeeper Marcin Bułka excelled during the match, keeping a clean sheet to secure a historic victory and earning the Man of the Match award for his direct contribution.

Polka stated after the match: "We came with one goal, which was to win, and that was a promise between us before the match. We played with strength and solidity, and our great determination led us to achieve victory."

The Polish goalkeeper expressed his happiness with his performance during the match, but he was keen to praise his teammates, emphasizing that the collective effort was a key factor behind Nyom's clean sheet and a valuable victory.

On the other hand, Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly, defender of Al Hilal, expressed his disappointment after the loss, having scored an own goal that allowed Neom to take the lead during the first half.

Kalidou Koulibaly stated: "The match was difficult from the start, and Neom was a very tough opponent. We paid the price for our mistakes, especially in dealing with corner kicks."

Al Hilal defender emphasized the need to continue working in the upcoming period and to address the mistakes that appeared against Neom, in order to avoid repeating them in future matches and to regain positive results.

Neom opened the scoring in the 15th minute with an own goal from Koulibaly, before Amadou Koné added the second goal in the 45th minute, securing the team a clean two-goal victory.

Nyom has increased his tally to 12 points, moving up to 4th place in the Saudi Pro League, while Al Hilal remains at 15 points despite suffering their first defeat of the season.

Al Hilal's defeat ends their historic unbeaten run of 47 consecutive matches in the Saudi Pro League, as they chased the record of 51 matches held by Al Ahly FC.

Al Ahly FC had an unbeaten streak of 51 consecutive matches during their title-winning season in 2015-2016, a record that remains intact after Al Hilal's defeat against Neom.

Sources from 'Sport 24' revealed that Neom's management has decided to award a special bonus to the players, after previously announcing a doubled bonus in the event of a victory over Al Hilal, in appreciation of the level and result achieved.