2023-12-26 07:26:15
Al Hilal Dominates the League as Ronaldo and Benzema Prepare for Showdown
When Karim Benzema arrived in Saudi Arabia in the summer, the expectation was that he and Cristiano Ronaldo would lead the teams competing for the championship. Al Ittihad won the title last season and Al Nasser finished second.
However, the dominance this season has belonged to Al Hilal, led by Yassin Bono, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Nevs, Sergej Milankovic-Savic, and above all, Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has scored 24 goals in 25 games for the club. Neymar is also part of the squad, but has made just five appearances before tearing his cruciate ligament.
The biggest disappointment this season has been Al Ittihad, which is unable to reproduce the ability that brought them the title last season and stands 22 points below the first place, effectively having no chance of keeping the title. Al Nasser is closer, being 10 points off the top.
Tonight, at 8 pm, Cristiano Ronaldo will meet his former Real Madrid teammate and best friend, Karim Benzema, in a highly-anticipated matchup. Both players have a history of facing each other as rivals, most recently during Euro 2021, where they each scored a goal in a match that ended 2-2.
Ronaldo and Benzema also faced off in the Champions League in the 2007/08 season when the Frenchman was still playing for Lyon and Ronaldo was with Manchester United. This time, it’s Ronaldo who leads the league in goals with 17 this season.
When the two played together at Real Madrid, they shared the field 342 times, with Ronaldo scoring 47 goals from Benzema’s assists, and Benzema scoring 29 goals from Ronaldo’s assists.
The showdown between Ronaldo and Benzema promises to be a thrilling match as they continue to make their mark in the league.
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