Benzema and Rajković Shine as Al-Ittihad Eliminates Al-Hilal from the King’s Cup
Al-Ittihad secured a spot in the semifinals of the Saudi King’s Cup after a dramatic 3-1 penalty shootout victory over Al-Hilal. The match, played at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, ended 2-2 after extra time.
Goals for Al-Ittihad came from French star Karim Benzema (63’ and 114’), while Al-Hilal’s scorers were Salem Al-Dossari (72’) and Brazilian Marcos Leonardo (101’).
This thrilling win stopped Al-Hilal’s dominance over Al-Ittihad in their last eight meetings across competitions. Over 25,000 fans witnessed the intense clash, which started with a significant blow to Al-Hilal as Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrović was forced off due to a hamstring injury just 12 minutes into the game. Coach Jorge Jesus brought on Marcos Leonardo as his replacement.
The first half ended goalless, with Benzema’s goal in the 44th minute ruled out for offside after VAR review. Al-Ittihad broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute when Benzema converted a cross from Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti.
Al-Hilal equalized in the 72nd minute through their captain Salem Al-Dossari, assisted by Brazilian midfielder Fabinho. The match went into extra time, where Al-Hilal took the lead in the 101st minute through Leonardo, set up by Muteb Al-Harbi.However, Al-Ittihad showed resilience, with Benzema leveling the score in the 114th minute after receiving a pass from Abdulaziz Al-Bishi.
The Frenchman celebrated his fifth career goal against Al-Hilal, including one scored while playing for Real Madrid in the 2023 Club World Cup.
In the 116th minute, Al-Bishi found the net again for Al-Ittihad, but VAR disallowed the goal for offside, pushing the match to penalties. In the shootout, Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajković emerged as the hero for Al-Ittihad, saving three penalties to secure a 3-1 win.
Rajković outstanding performance, including an animated celebratory dance, captivated fans on social media. The goalkeeper who has been compared to Argentina and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, used psychological tactics to unsettle opposing players, a skill he previously demonstrated against Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka during an international match in October.
After the match, Rajković commented on his approach, saying: “These tricks are well-known. I didn’t do anything new, just a little jump. We know Emiliano Martínez does it better and more effectively.”
Al-Ittihad’s victory earned them the final spot in the semifinals, joining Al-Qadsiah, Al-Shabab, and Al-Raed. Al-Hilal, winners of the last two editions, bowed out of the competition at the quarterfinal stage.
Earlier, Mexican forward Julián Quiñones led Al-Qadsiah to a 3-0 win over Al-Taawoun, assisting twice and scoring the third goal.
Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened the scoring in the 34th minute from Quiñones’ cross, followed by a second from Spanish midfielder Cameron Puertas two minutes later, also assisted by Quiñones. Quiñones sealed the win with a stunning strike from outside the box in the 49th minute.
