The reunion between two kings of football turned into a cold shower for Karim Benzema. His club Al-Ittihad, although reigning champion, was outclassed at home 5-2 by Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr on Tuesday in Jeddah in a late match of the 17th day of the Saudi Arabian Championship.
Strongly criticized by the Saudi press for his lack of efficiency and his supposed lack of involvement, captain Benzema once again did not find the net during this meeting, unlike Ronaldo who scored his ten from the penalty spot. -eighth and nineteenth goals of the season in the league (compared to 9 for Benzema).
Sadio Mané’s double
With this result, Al-Nassr consolidates its second place, seven points behind leader Al-Hilal. After this sixth defeat (8 wins, 4 draws) Al-Ittihad remains sixth, twenty-two lengths from the lead.
In addition to Ronaldo, former Metz and Liverpool striker Sadio Mané also scored twice (75th, 82nd), as did Moroccan Abderrazak Hamdallah for Al-Ittihad (14th, 51st). The first penalty converted by Ronaldo (19th) was whistled for a fault by… Benzema, and the second (68th) for a bad gesture by Fabinho, excluded from the action.
This meeting was postponed due to Al-Ittihad’s participation in the Club World Cup where Marcelo Gallardo’s team was eliminated in the second round.