The 15th goal of the Karim Benzema season all competitions was only a consolation while Al-Ittihad underwent a second surprise defeat of the season in Damac in Pro League Saudi on Monday.
Benzema, winner of the Ballon d’Or 2022, found the space to insist on the center of the right of Abdulrahman al objeously in the additional time of the first half, bringing his team equally after Georges-Kevin Nkoudou opened the scoring at the 17th minute.
The former winger of Besiktas, Tottenham, Marseille and Nantes, Nkoudou, marked again from afar in the 94th minute, sealing a 2-1 victory for a team that had started in the afternoon four points above the relegation zone and with eight defeats in its first 16 championship matches. .
A typical finish of a golden ball ⭐️⚽️#Roshnsaudileague pic.twitter.com/eg3mx7rimc
– Saudi League Roshn (@Spl_en) January 27, 2025
Goals from Karim Benzema
Benzema’s fourth goal in five league matches was his 13th in the elite this season, placing him a total of 14 for the top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo for Al-Nassr, third.
Former Fulham and Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, is the only other player to double the figures in Saudi Arabia, scoring 12 goals for Al-Hilal.
Double: @gknkoudou ⚡️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/rbzl3m3xw4
– Saudi League Roshn (@Spl_en) January 27, 2025
Benzema has 10 direct goals in six appearances in all competitions since his return after having missed three games due to injury in October and November,
THE Quintuple winner of the Champions League with Real Madrid With three more assists than Ronaldo and Mitrovic gathered in the league, scoring five goals.
The Cameroonian international N’Koudou is one of the four players to have scored nine goals after scoring for the first time in four games.
🇨🇲 @gknkoudou was your choice Motm from #Damitt ⭐️#Roshnsaudileague pic.twitter.com/p5qcd2vesg
– Saudi League Roshn (@Spl_en) January 27, 2025
Saudi pro league classification
Al-Ittihad failed to exceed three points al-Hilal with his first defeat since a 3-1 defeat in the leader on September 21, when Mitrovic scored twice and Benzema marked a response to the 86th minute .
Ronaldo was among scorers like Al-Nassr won 3-1 at home against al-Fateh Sunday, but the Portuguese icon team has eight points behind Al-Ittihad.
The reigning champions, Al-Hilal, can take advantage of the al-Ittihad error during their visit to Al-Qadisiyah, fourth, later Monday (5:00 p.m. GMT).
⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/s5jvab8nvv
-club al-ittihad (@ittihad_en) January 27, 2025
Benzema Statistics of Real Madrid
Benzema’s 354 goals in 14 years make him the second top top scorer of all time in Madrid behind his former teammate Ronaldo, who scored 451.
The vice-world champion 2022 with France declared in interviews which he considered himself an ambassador of football to Saudi Arabia, capable of attracting more European elite footballers in the League.
After leaving Madrid a year before the end of his contract, Benzema joined Al-Ittihad for a three-year contract in 2023.
📸 | @Benzema celebration after marking equalization ⚽️#Alittihad_damak pic.twitter.com/resxlenwrp
-club al-ittihad (@ittihad_en) January 27, 2025
Benzema in Saudi Arabia
The first season of Benzema in Saudi Arabia produced a return of 13 goals and eight assists in 29 matches, which was weak compared to its prolific standards when Al-Ittihad endured a year 2023/24, ending without Trophy and dismissing the current manager of Nottingham Forest, Nuno Espirito Santo. November.
The former sports director of Barcelona, Ramon Planes, joined the nonoples champions in the same role he occupied among the Spanish giants in January, and the former manager of PSG Laurent Blanc had led them at the top of the classification since the replacement from Argentinian Marcelo Gallardo in July.
His goals this season include a against Al-Nassr in a 2-1 victory in the last Al-Ittihad game before the winter holidays.
