Al-Wehda 1-4 Al-Ittihad: Benzema stars to move leaders four points clear

Karim Benzema grabbed a goal and two assists to move Al-Ittihad four points clear at the Saudi Pro League summit, following a 4-1 win over Al-Wehda on Saturday.

Following Al-Hilal's draw against Al-Riyadh on Friday, Laurent Blanc's side took full advantage of that slip-up to edge closer to regaining the title they won back in 2022-23.

Al-Ittihad edged in front when Muhannad Al Shanqiti fiercely dispatched the ball in off the post, after collecting Benzema's neat flick into the penalty area in the 35th minute.

But their joy was short-lived, with Al-Wehda restoring parity seven minutes later as Jawad El Yamiq's volley from distance squirmed underneath Predrag Rajkovic's grasp.

Benzema, however, fired the visitors back in front on the stroke of half-time, gathering Moussa Diaby's backheel inside the box, before curling the ball into the bottom-right corner.

Al-Wehda head coach Daniel Carreno was then shown a red card in first-half stoppage time following a disagreement with a member of Al-Ittihad's coaching staff.

Steven Bergwijn made sure of the victory on the hour, rattling the ball first time beyond Abdullah Al Owaishir on the rebound from Diaby's blocked effort inside the box.

Al-Ittihad added further gloss to an impressive display late on, with Houssem Aouar combining well with Benzema before curling the ball into the bottom-left corner.

#Roshn_Saudi_League #Alittihad_AlWehdaCongratulations Tigers pic.twitter.com/fYwPhuWCAD
— Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) February 15, 2025

Data Debrief: Old gold seals the deal for Al-Ittihad

Benzema continues to prove that age is just a number, with the 37-year-old providing yet another telling contribution in Al-Ittihad's quest for the Saudi Pro League title.

This season, only former Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo (16) has scored more Saudi Pro League goals than Benzema (15), while his strike on Saturday was his 31st in Al-Ittihad colours from just 48 appearances across all competitions.

But the Frenchman also showcased his impressive all-round game, creating more chances (five) and playing more passes into the final third (40) than any of his team-mates in the contest. Only Bergwijn (0.52) and Aouar (0.79) had higher expected goals (xG) totals than Benzema (0.37).