Benzema outshines Ronaldo as Al Ittihad knock Al Nassr out of King Cup

WEB DESK: The clash between Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi King Cup ended with the Frenchman taking the glory, as Al Ittihad defeated Al Nassr 2–1 to advance to the quarterfinals. Sérgio Conceição’s side managed to eliminate Jorge Jesus’ men, who failed to carry their impressive league form into the cup competition.

Benzema delivers when it matters

After a slow start to the season, Benzema found his rhythm at just the right time. The former Real Madrid striker opened the scoring for Al Ittihad, reminding everyone of his ability to perform in big moments. His early goal lifted the confidence of the reigning Saudi champions, who went on to control the tempo of the game with calm precision.

Al Nassr hit back through Brazilian forward Angelo, who pounced on a loose ball inside the box to level the score around the half-hour mark. But Al Ittihad quickly restored their lead when Algerian midfielder Houssem Aouar found the net with a composed finish past goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic, stunning the home fans and putting Cristiano Ronaldo’s side under real pressure.

Ronaldo’s frustration grows

Despite firing 22 shots, including five on target, Al Nassr struggled to find a way through Al Ittihad’s compact defence, which held strong even after Al Julaydan was sent off early in the second half. Ronaldo worked tirelessly in search of his 951st career goal but came up empty-handed, showing visible frustration as the final whistle approached.

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The defeat knocks Al Nassr out of the tournament and denies Ronaldo another shot at silverware in Saudi Arabia. Still, his team remains top of the Saudi Pro League, buoyed by six straight league victories.

A turning point for Al Ittihad

For Al Ittihad, the win could prove to be a turning point in what has been a mixed campaign so far. Currently seventh in the league with ten points, Conceição’s men will be hoping this result reignites their push for consistency after a shaky start to their title defence.

Elsewhere, Al Qadisiya, coached by Spanish tactician Míchel, moved into the next round with a 3–1 victory over Al Hazem, thanks to a brace from Mexican forward Julián Quiñones and a strike from Italo-Argentine Mateo Retegui. Al Hilal also advanced after a narrow 1–0 win against Al Okhdood, with Brazilian forward Marcos Leonardo scoring the decisive goal.

As the King Cup moves ahead, it has already served up one of its biggest twists: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr bowing out at the hands of Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad—another dramatic chapter in the storied rivalry between the two football icons.