Earlier this year, Al Hilal star Salem Al Dawsari scored a goal-of-the-season contender when he rifled in an unstoppable bicycle kick against Al Faisal en route to winning the Saudi Super Cup. While most fans lavished praise on the goal-scorer, the man who made the assist rightly got his share of the credit too.

The player in question was Al Hilal’s right-back Mohammed Al Burayk, who showcased his impressive dribbling skills by dragging his marker left and right before sending in an inch-perfect cross to Al Dawsari.

On Wednesday, Chelsea’s left-back Marcos Alonso was the latest victim of Al Burayk’s wizardry. Picking the ball up on the right flank, the No2 accelerated off before brilliantly changing direction, leaving the Spaniard on the ground. Al Burayk’s moment of brilliance won the applause of thousands at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, including Chelsea fans.

Nor was it the only time the 29-year-old stood out during the game. Having recovered from an injury that prevented him from playing their opener against Al Jazira, Al Burayk impressed throughout against one of the best teams in the world.

The player, who apart from a brief loan spell has spent his entire career at Al Hilal, embodies the mentality that has made the Saudi outfit the most successful club in Asia. Yet despite the strength of their semi-final opponents and narrow defeat that many considered commendable, Al Burayk did not shy away from self-criticism.

"We didn’t play well in the first half, but after the break we showed our true character and style,” he told FIFA post-game. “We had possession and tried to carve out chances, which we managed to do on two or three occasions, but then we couldn’t convert them."

In a largely even affair, Chelsea’s solitary goal came from of a mistake by Al Hilal's other full-back, Yasser Al Shahrani, who failed to control the ball on his six-yard line and inadvertently chested it into the path of Romelu Lukaku, who smashed it home from close range.

"As a player, you have to learn from these experiences and big games. We need to draw lessons from every match we play, whether for our club or the national team," Al Burayk added.

Al Hilal, who finished fourth in their maiden Club World Cup appearance in 2019, now aim to go one better and claim the final podium place in the UAE. To achieve that, however, they must overcome two hurdles: opponents Al Ahly, who have twice finished third in this competition, and fatigue.

“The third-place match will be difficult, especially since we’ll be playing our third game in a short period. I think we could’ve matched Chelsea better in physical terms if this had been our first game here, but we managed to up our tempo in the second half and played well, even if luck was not our side,” he concluded.