"It wasn’t an easy match. The opponent is strong, has top-class players, and plays at a very high level. They were tough in the second half, but we knew how to defend our goal," said Bounou.

"Thank God for the penalty save as a goalkeeper, you have to do your job on the pitch. You need full focus against Real Madrid because they’re a difficult team with great players, and we stayed fully focused."

Real took the lead through Gonzalo in the 34th minute, with Ruben Neves drawing Al Hilal level from the penalty spot four minutes before the break, with Al Hilal skipper Salem Al Dawsari having mixed feelings about the result.

"Our ambition was to win, but we played a good match. We didn’t come here for tourism, we came from Saudi Arabia to win and make our country proud," said Al Dawsari, who was part of the Al Hilal team that finished runners-up to Real in the 2023 edition.

"We don’t pay attention to criticism or pressure. We’re a united team, we focus on the pitch, and we play together as one unit. Our goal is to reach the Round of 16, then take things step by step. Today, we proved that the Saudi league has quality and talent. We played a great game."

Simone Inzaghi, in his first competitive match as Al Hilal head coach, was pleased with the performance.

"It was a good match for my team. They played very well. We played an excellent, organised team game. Together, we stood up to Real Madrid, which I think is one of the three strongest teams in the world. I am very satisfied," said Inzaghi.

"In short, I couldn't have asked for more. I was confident. I said yesterday that I had seen the team working well, but a performance like this, also thinking about what is to come, makes me very happy as a coach." 

Al Hilal play Red Bull Salzburg on Sunday, with the Austrian side topping the standings following their 2-1 win against Mexico's Pachuca.