Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad Humbled by Al Hilal in Saudi El Clasico, Suffer Elimination in Arab Cup

• Al-Ittihad suffered a disappointing exit in the Arab Club Champions Cup
• The Saudi champions succumbed to a 3-1 defeat to sworn rivals Al-Hilal
• They will now set their sights on the new Saudi Pro League campaign, which begins on August 11

Karim Benzema and Al-Ittihad's dream of winning the Arab Club Champions Cup came to a crashing halt with a 3-1 defeat to bitter rivals Al-Hilal at the King Fahd Stadium on Saturday, August 5.

Al-Ittihad, the reigning Saudi Pro League champions, had an impressive run in the regional tournament, being the only team to achieve a perfect record by winning all three group games, alongside Raja Casablanca from Morocco.

However, their ambitions were dashed when they faced Al-Hilal in the Saudi version of El Clasico. Despite bolstering their league-winning squad with Fabinho, Jota, and Benzema, they succumbed to Al-Hilal's dominance.

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Just 14 minutes into the match, former Lazio captain Sergej Milinkovic-Savic nodded home a goal from a Ruben Neves corner, putting Al-Ittihad on the backfoot.

Al Dawsari further worsened their plight by scoring from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime, giving Al-Hilal a 2-0 lead.

However, Al-Ittihad showed resilience, and Romarinho managed to halve the deficit in the 56th minute, giving them hope. But their fightback was thwarted when ex-Barcelona winger Malcom scored the third and final goal of the game.

One pivotal moment in the match was when Benzema, Al-Ittihad's talisman, missed a penalty. The 35-year-old's effort struck the post, denying them a chance to equalize and turning the tide further in favour of Al-Hilal, per Fan Nation.

With a final scoreline of 3-1, Al-Ittihad's Arab Cup campaign came to an end in the quarterfinal stage, while Al-Hilal advanced to the semifinals, where they will face Iraqi side Al Shorta, who upset Al-Sadd from Qatar earlier in the day.

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Benzema's costly penalty miss

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Karim Benzema had a moment to forget in his first taste of Saudi Arabia's version of the El Clasico between Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal as he missed a crucial penalty.

The Frenchman's missed penalty in the 78th minute added to the unexpected setback, as Al-Hilal secured a 3-1 victory over their sworn rivals, securing a spot in the semifinals.