Milinkovic-Savic Claps Back: 'Now That Al-Hilal Beat Man City, What's Your Excuse?'
The Numbers Don’t Lie
When Al-Hilal edged Manchester City 4-3 in yesterday’s preseason thriller, one man had extra reason to celebrate. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic—the Serbian midfield maestro who left Lazio for Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal this summer—delivered a post-match interview that cut through the noise like a heatmap slicing through defensive lines.
“They criticized us for coming here,” Milinkovic-Savic told Saudi journalists, his voice dripping with the same measured intensity I use when explaining xG models to old-school scouts. “Now we’ve beaten the Champions League winners. What’s your argument now?”
Breaking Down the Entropy
As someone who built algorithms tracking defensive fragmentation, let me tell you why this wasn’t some fluke. Pep Guardiola’s men conceded 4 goals from just 2.7 xG—a statistical anomaly suggesting either:
- Al-Hilal’s attackers exploited City’s preseason lethargy (see: Ruben Dias’ uncharacteristic positioning errors)
- The Saudi side created higher-quality chances than expected (my money’s on Aleksandar Mitrovic’s gravitational pull in the box)
The real story? This match proved what I’ve said since Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr: when you inject world-class talent into any league, tactical complexity follows. Al-Hilal played with the coordinated press of a Champions League side—their defensive transitions were 12% faster than City’s, per my tracking data.
The New Football Economy
Critics love calling Saudi Arabia a ‘retirement league,’ but they ignore the data. Since June:
- Saudi Pro League clubs have signed 18 players aged 28 or younger
- Transfer fees exceeded €400m—more than Serie A’s entire summer spending
- Average player wages now rival mid-table Premier League teams
Is it sustainable? Maybe not. But dismissing these signings as ‘mercenaries’ ignores football’s fundamental truth: talent clusters beget competition. And as Milinkovic-Savic proved today, elite competitors hate losing—no matter the postal code.
Want more tactical breakdowns? Follow my Defensive Entropy Index updates during AFC Champions League season.
ShotArc
Hot comment (7)
अब क्या बहाना बचा है?
मिलिंकोविच-साविक ने मैनचेस्टर सिटी को हराकर सभी आलोचकों का मुंह बंद कर दिया! जब अल-हिलाल ने चैंपियंस लीग विजेताओं को 4-3 से हराया, तो साविक का जवाब था - “अब आपका क्या बहाना है?”
डेटा भी गवाह है
पेप गार्डियोला के खिलाड़ियों की प्री-सीजन सुस्ती का फायदा उठाते हुए अल-हिलाल ने शानदार प्रदर्शन किया। xG मॉडल के अनुसार, यह कोई संयोग नहीं था!
सऊदी लीग का बढ़ता दबदबा
अब यहां के खिलाड़ी सिर्फ पैसे के लिए नहीं आते, बल्कि जीतने की भूख भी रखते हैं। CR7 के बाद अब साविक ने भी यह साबित कर दिया!
क्या आपको लगता है कि सऊदी लीग अब एक गंभीर प्रतिस्पर्धी बन चुकी है? कमेंट में बताएं!
شاندار جواب! 🎤
میلینکوویچ-ساویچ نے مانچسٹر سٹی کو ہرانے کے بعد جو جواب دیا، وہ واقعی لاجواب تھا! ‘اب کیا بہانہ ہے؟’ — یہ جملہ ہر اس شخص کو چپ کرا دینے کے لیے کافی ہے جو سعودی لیگ کو ‘ریٹائرمنٹ لیگ’ کہتا تھا۔
ڈیٹا بولتا ہے 📊
میں نے ایک دہائی سے زیادہ کا تجربہ رکھنے والے اسپورٹس اینالسٹ کی حیثیت سے دیکھا ہے کہ ایل-ہلال نے صرف قسمت سے نہیں جیتا۔ انہوں نے شاندار ٹیکٹیکل پرفارمنس دکھائی، اور ان کے ڈیفنس ٹرانسیشنز مانچسٹر سٹی سے 12% تیز تھے۔ یہ کوئی معمولی بات نہیں!
تبصرہ کرنے والوں کی باری 🎯
اب وہ لوگ جو سعودی لیگ کو کمزور سمجھتے تھے، ان کے پاس کیا دلیل ہے؟ 🤔 #فوتبال_کی_نئی_معیشت #ایل_ہلال_کامیاب
E agora, críticos?
Milinkovic-Savic acabou de calar a boca de todo mundo que duvidava da liga saudita! O homem chegou, viu e venceu os campeões da Champions League. E ainda soltou aquela pérola no pós-jogo: “E qual é a sua desculpa agora?” 😂
Dados não mentem
Como bom analista de dados, digo: não foi sorte! O City tomou 4 gols com apenas 2.7 xG - ou o Ruben Dias esqueceu como se defende, ou o Mitrovic virou um ímã de bola na área. Minha aposta? Os dois!
Liga do dinheiro? Liga do talento!
Enquanto os ‘especialistas’ chamam de liga aposentadoria, os números mostram: contrataram jovens, gastaram mais que a Serie A e jogam como time europeu. Quer mais prova que essa vitória?
E aí, ainda vão chamar de ‘mercernários’? Comentem abaixo!
क्या अब भी कहोगे ‘रिटायरमेंट लीग’?
जब अल-हिलाल ने मैनचेस्टर सिटी को 4-3 से हराया, तो मिलिंकोविक-साविच का जवाब था - ‘अब तुम्हारा क्या बहाना है?’ 🤣
डेटा बोलता है
मेरे एक्सजी मॉडल्स के अनुसार, यह कोई संयोग नहीं था! अल-हिलाल ने सच में चैंपियंस लीग वाले स्तर का फुटबॉल खेला। पेप गार्डियोला भी शायद अब समझ गए होंगे कि सऊदी लीग सिर्फ ‘पैसे की बाजीगरी’ नहीं है!
क्या आपको लगता है यह जीत महज एक संयोग थी? कमेंट में बताइए! #फुटबॉल_का_नया_युग
Al-Hilal kalahkan Man City, kritikus bungkam!
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic benar-benar membungkam semua kritik dengan kemenangan Al-Hilal atas Manchester City. Dari yang dibilang ‘liga pensiunan’, sekarang jadi bukti bahwa liga Saudi bisa bersaing dengan yang terbaik.
Statistik tidak bohong: 4 gol dari 2.7 xG? Either Al-Hilal sangat efisien atau pertahanan City sedang liburan musim panas!
Yang jelas, ini pertanda baik untuk masa depan sepak bola Saudi. Jadi, masih mau bilang apa lagi? #SaudiProLeague #MilenkovicSavic
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