Karim Benzema failed to move over Cristiano Ronaldo in the ranking of the best scorers in the Saudi Pro League while Al-Ittihad conceded an equalizer of 96th minute in a 1-1 draw with an al-Khaleej side at 27 points below them to Prince Mohamed Bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam.
Al-Ittihad did not manage his first attempted target in the 34th minute, when Benzema Low Strike from the inside of the box was run by the former goalkeeper of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ibrahim Sehic.
Al-Khaleej, which is closer to the relegation zone than the first five, had the best of the first half and was unhappy not to go ahead when the journey of Abdulla Al Salem was filmed behind by Predrag Rajkovic.
Laurent Blanc’s team was well improved after the break and looked more dangerous, with the former Premier League player of the N’Golo Kante season making them advance.
The winger Abdulrahman Alobud tapped them in the 78th minute on a day when Benzema received the objective of the Division Week for the effort of the former French striker in the 4-1 return victory of Al-Ittihad against the Rivals of the title al-Hilal four days earlier.
After the central defender Saad Al-Mousa has manipulated inside the box, the former midfielder of Greece Kostas Fortounis slipped in the kicks of the hosts to win the ninth place team a deserved point.
Make this 4⃣ 🇬🇷
Kostas Fortounis gave Al Khaleej the equalizer deeply in the stop time ⏱️#Roshnsaudileage pic.twitter.com/eeqttxixhs
– Rosh Saudi League (@Spl_en) February 26, 2025
Benzema vs Ronaldo
2022 The winner of the Golden Ball Benzema has 16 goals and seven assists in 2024/25 Pro League, with Ronaldo Also marking 16 but contributing four less assists for Al-Nassr.
The five-time golden ball, Ronaldo, put his team in mind in the 48th minute of his 2-0 victory in Al-Wehda on Tuesday, twice the African footballer of the year, Sadio Mane adding their second during the overtime.
Benzema failed to score for the first time in four games, after producing three goals and two assists in his three previous games.
With 12 games to play, Al-Ittihad has not won for the fourth time in 22 championship games this season means that they are five points from al-Hilal and nine above the Al-Nassr of Ronaldo, which are at the level of the points with Al-Qadisiyah.
Statistics of Benzema Real Madrid
The 354 goals of Benzema in 14 years for Real Madrid make him the second top scorer of all time of the Spanish giants behind the former teammate Ronaldo, who struck 451.
THE 2022 Finalist World Cup With France, said in interviews that he considered himself an ambassador of football to Saudi Arabia who can help attract more European league elite footballers.
After leaving Madrid a year before the end of his contract, Benzema joined Al-Ittihad On a three -year contract in 2023.
Benzema in Saudi Arabia
The first 37-year season in Saudi Arabia produced a return of 13 goals and eight assists in 29 games, which was weak by its prolific standards when Al-Ittihad endured a turbulent 2023/24, finishing without trophy and dismissing the director of the Nottingham Nuno Epirito Santo Forest in November.
The former director of the sportsman of Barcelona, Ramon Planes, joined the nine champions in the same role he occupied the Spanish giants in January 2024, and the former director of PSG, white, led them to the top of the table since his replacement of Argentin Marcelo Gallardo in July.
Benzema’s goals this season included one against Al-Nassr in a 2-1 victory in the last Al-Ithad match before their winter break.
