After missing four Al-Ittihad matches for a month due to a muscle injury, Karim Benzema made a resounding return to competition. Laurent Blanc’s team traveled to the Al-Ettifaq field, the team coached by Steven Gerrard with Georginio Wijnaldum, Seko Fofana, Karl Toko Ekambi and Moussa Dembélé, and won 4-0 last Saturday. An impressive offensive festival started by the genius of “KB9”, who now has nine goals and three assists in nine league matches.
The 2022 Ballon d’Or, 36, first slipped a full ball to N’Golo Kanté for the opening score for the 2018 world champion (35th). In the second half, Benzema doubled the lead on an action initiated by an untenable Houssem Aouar (53rd). Aouar himself shook the net, then Benzema launched Steven Bergwijn on goal for a magnificent achievement (70th). Great football which allows Al-Ittihad to remain at the top of the standings with two points ahead of Al-Hilal, the reigning champion.
Benzema-Ronaldo, the terrible reunion?
The Saudi Pro League season could change as soon as the 13th day arrives since Al-Ittihad hosts Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo’s club which is third with eight points behind, Friday (6 p.m., live on Canal+ Foot). Benzema has a great opportunity to take the Ittihad Tigers to the top, exactly one year after falling victim to the outpouring of discontent from supporters. Al-Ittihad were then reigning champions and the former Real striker had struggled to adapt to his new team.
Al-Ittihad can not only drop Al-Nassr in the title race but also revive rumors of a departure from “CR7”. If the five-time Ballon d’Or improves his statistics in almost every match, Al-Nassr regularly misses and, like last season, could not get involved in the title race in the coming months. Unworthy for this flagship team of the championship. It is said that Ronaldo would be ready to change Saudi clubs next summer, at the end of his contract with Al-Nassr. The crisis is near.
