Al-Ittihad Victory Led by Benzema and Alqaybari

On November 21, 2025, the 9th round match of the 2025–2026 Saudi Pro League season took place at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. In this match, "Al-Ittihad" defeated "Al-Riyadh" 2-1.

The hosts scored two goals in the first half — Karim Benzema and Muhammad Alqubayri marked their names on the scoreboard. The visitors, on the other hand, could only respond with Silla Mamadu's goal in the final minutes.

The home team controlled the game from the very beginning. In the 24th minute, Karim Benzema converted a pass from Moussa Diaby into a goal, opening the scoring — 1-0.

Eighteen minutes later, Muhammad Alqubayri capitalized on a combination in the opponent's penalty box and doubled his team's advantage — 2-0. "Al-Riyadh" was unable to create any dangerous chances at the host's goal by the end of the first half.

In the second half, the coaches tried to make several changes. "Al-Ittihad" focused on preserving their lead, but in the 73rd minute, Moussa Diaby received a red card, leaving his team with one player less.

"Al-Riyadh" took advantage of this situation in the 77th minute when Silla Mamadu found the net after a pass from Al-Sherif Yaqyan, reducing the score to 2-1. However, in the remaining minutes, "Al-Ittihad's" defense and goalkeeper performed their duties reliably.

This victory reinforced "Al-Ittihad's" position at the top of the Saudi Pro League table. Led by Karim Benzema, the team continued their unbeaten streak, closing in on the AFC Champions League qualifying zone.

"Al-Riyadh," despite their active efforts during the final minutes, remains at the lower end of the standings. Read “Zamin” on Telegram!