Karim Benzema scored his first goal in the Saudi Professional Football League and set up another goal to lead Al-Ittihad to a 4-0 victory over its host, Riyadh, in a match that witnessed Abdul Razzaq Hamdallah scoring two goals today, Thursday.
Al-Ittihad, the defending champion, raised its tally to nine points, to lead with the full score, and by goal difference, from Al-Ahly, its local rival.
While the team, promoted to the League of Lights, froze at four points in ninth place.
Benzema gave the lead to Al-Ittihad in the 17th minute, and Hamdallah reinforced the second goal from a penalty kick eight minutes later, before adding the third goal in the tenth minute of stoppage time for the first half.
Benzema scores his first league goal 🇸🇦⚽️#Roshan_Saudi_League#Riyadh _ Union | #SSC pic.twitter.com/ucCCewxX3M
– Saudi Sports Company SSC (@ssc_sports) August 24, 2023
Saleh Al-Omari concluded his team goals near the end.
Salah is present at the celebrations of Al-Ittihad fans
Al-Ittihad fans celebrated the goals, and some of them wore a mask bearing a picture of the face of Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool star, who “BN Sports” said had agreed to move to the team during the current transfer period.
And coach Nuno Santo pushed his striking force from the start with the presence of Romarinho and Igor Coronado behind Benzema and Hamdallah, while relying on Ngolo Kante and Fabinho in the midfield.
Benzema almost scored immediately after kick-off, after he rounded goalkeeper Martin Campagna, but he hit the Riyadh defense stationed on the goal line.
But Riyadh responded quickly with two chances for Juan Miguel (Juanmi) and Knowledge Musona within three minutes.
Juanmi shot over the crossbar after goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe was alone in the tenth minute, while captain Musona’s shot passed near the right post.
The former Real Madrid striker disengaged in the 17th minute, after exchanging the ball with Romarinho and hitting the goal successfully, to celebrate his first goal in the Saudi League.
Benzema’s goal came after local media reports indicated the strained relationship between him and coach Santo because he believes that the French star does not fit his way of playing and did not ask to contract with him, but the French star’s participation and registration may deny these reports.
Coronado fired a wonderful shot that went over the crossbar in the 20th minute.
Hamdallah adds the second goal of the union ⚽#Roshan_Saudi_League#Riyadh _ Union | #SSC pic.twitter.com/i9GXJhQ1sS
– Saudi Sports Company SSC (@ssc_sports) August 24, 2023
Hamdallah successfully translated a penalty kick in the 25th minute, which he obtained after being blocked by defender Ahmed Asiri.
Romarinho thought he had made the score 3-0 before the goal was canceled for offside in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
A canceled goal for the federation due to offside ❌#Roshan_Saudi_League#Riyadh _ Union | #SSC pic.twitter.com/nt2uMUhgta
– Saudi Sports Company SSC (@ssc_sports) August 24, 2023
Six minutes later, the Moroccan striker returned to score his second goal with a double kick, after a cross pass from Maddallah Al-Olayan.
Musuna tried and hit from long range after ten minutes of the break, but goalkeeper Grohe saved the attempt successfully.
Campania shone twice in front of Hamdallah, then Romarinho shot and turned the ball into a corner after an hour of play.
Benzema tried and hit from the edge of the penalty area, but the ball passed by the right post ten minutes before the end.
Substitute Saleh Al Abbas missed a penalty kick for Riyadh near the end, after Grohi successfully blocked the shot, keeping Al-Ittihad’s clean sheet for the third match in a row.
Substitute Al-Omari scored the fourth goal after converting a cross pass from Benzema into the net in the third minute of stoppage time for the second half.
Federal quad in the window of Riyadh ✅
⚽️Watch the goals⤵️#Roshan_Saudi_League#Riyadh _ Union | #SSC pic.twitter.com/mhxVckCT6s
– Saudi Sports Company SSC (@ssc_sports) August 24, 2023
Mitrovic leads Al-Hilal to a wide victory
Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic scored his first goal with Al-Hilal in his first appearance with the team, to put him on the road to a 4-0 victory over Al-Raed, despite his slow start in the Saudi Professional Football League today, Thursday.
Salem Al-Dosari added two more goals, and Abdullah Al-Hammad scored a fourth goal for Al-Hilal in the second half of the match, which the two teams ended with ten players after Sergey Milinkovic-Savic and Omar Gonzalez were sent off.
The match witnessed the first appearance of Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who moved to Al Hilal from Seville, and blocked two dangerous chances at the beginning of the second half.
Thus, Al-Hilal returns to the path of victories, after its 1-1 draw in the last round with Al-Fayhaa, to rise to second place with seven points, two points behind Al-Ittihad, the defending champions and leaders.
quadruple.. #Crescent moon Exceed #Pioneer ✅
📺 Watch the goals of the match ⤵️#Roshan_Saudi_League#Major _ Crescent | #SSC pic.twitter.com/czZ3p6oDpY
– Saudi Sports Company SSC (@ssc_sports) August 24, 2023
