Benzema ‘hunts’ Cristiano Ronaldo
Al Hilal beat Al Khaleej in a comeback filled with late drama, moving to within two points of Al Nassr. The Saudi Pro League is wide open.
If anything was going to shake up the Saudi title race, it was an Al Hilal win after Al Nassr’s loss to Al Qadsiah. In what has become a two-team battle, Simone Inzaghi’s side got the job done on the road against Al Khaleej, though it was far from comfortable and wasn’t decided until the closing stages. In the end, it went Al Hilal’s way, 2-1.
Al Khaleej stun Benzema’s side
The game began with an early surprise. Joshua King, following a throw-in, showed why he has been one of the standout players in the competition, putting Al Khaleej ahead. The Norwegian, who blew up any early rhythm from the visitors, embodied Gustavo Poyet’s team’s bold approach. With Al Hilal rotating its lineup — Benzema did not start — ahead of the King’s Cup on May 8, the goal sparked a response. Sergej Milinković-Savić leveled the game with a header from a set piece.
The home side continued to threaten Yassine Bounou’s goal, and with the score tied, Al Khaleej hit the crossbar in a chance to go back in front. The back-and-forth continued, with Milinković-Savić scoring again, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. With both teams evenly matched, the game was ultimately decided by a mistake, after Abdullah Al-Mandash intercepted a back pass that ended up in Moris’ net.
Benzema came on late
Benzema came on for the final minutes. He even produced a fine finish that was ruled out for offside. Still, the Frenchman is gearing up for what could be a dramatic end to the season in Saudi Arabia. A head-to-head clash on May 12 could decide everything, with Al Nassr and Al Hilal separated by just two points in the title race.
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- 49 Moris
- 3 Mohammed Al Khabrani
- 13 Ahmed Asiri (70')
- 5 Rebocho
- 17 Abdullah Al Hafith
- 21 Kourbelis
- 11 Paolo Fernandez (75')
- 15 Mansour Hamzi (85')
- 12 Majed Kanabah (84')
- 7 King
- 10 Fortounis
- Substitutes
- 96 Marwan Al Haidari
- 28 Hamad Al Jayzani (70')
- 33 Bandar Nasser
- 25 Arif Al Haydar
- 16 Bader Munshi (84')
- 90 Thamer Al Khaibri (85')
- 93 Saleh Al Amri
- 20 Hussain Al Eissa (75')
- 2 Ali Al Salem
- 37 Bono
- 8 Ruben Neves
- 4 Yusuf Akçiçek (45')
- 78 Ali Lajami (82')
- 23 Sultan Mandash (83')
- 28 Mohammed Kanno
- 16 Nasser Al-Dosari
- 19 Theo Hernández
- 22 Milinkovic-Savic
- 10 Malcom (86')
- 9 Marcos Leonardo (86')
- Substitutes
- 14 Abdulkarim Darisi (83')
- 24 Moteb Al Harbi (45')
- 18 Murad Al Hawsawi
- 17 Mohammed Alyami
- 40 Ahmad Aburasyin
- 90 Benzema (86')
- 87 Hassan Altambakti (82')
- 29 Salem Al Dawsari (86')
Substitutions
Moteb Al Harbi (45', Yusuf Akçiçek), Hamad Al Jayzani (70', Ahmed Asiri), Hussain Al Eissa (75', Paolo Fernandes), Hassan Al Tambakti (82', Ali Lajami), Abdulkarim Darisi (83', Sultan Mandash), Bader Munshi (84', Majed Kanabah), Thamer Al Khaibri (85', Mansour Hamzi), Salem Al Dawsari (86', Malcom), Karim Benzema (86', Marcos Leonardo)
Goals
1-0, 10': King, 1-1, 33': Milinkovic-Savic, 1-2, 78': Sultan Mandash
Cards
Referee: Andris Treimanis
VAR Referee: Kristaps Ratnieks, Vitalijs Spasjonnikovs
Yusuf Akçiçek (18',Yellow), Mansour Hamzi (41',Yellow), Ahmed Asiri (52',Yellow), Moris (76',Yellow), Sultan Mandash (82',Yellow), Marcos Leonardo (86',Yellow)