Benzema’s access to the Asian Champions League is complicated

2024-04-01 21:38:37

Frenchman Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad complicated their chances of competing in the next edition of the Asian Champions League after losing 1-0 this Monday to Al Ahli in a derby in the city of Jeddah that the locals decided in their favor thanks to his biggest hit.

They were of little or no use to the team led by the Argentine Marcelo Gallardo the quality flashes of Benzema, that after a quarter of an hour of play he once again showed the immense talent he possesses with a sensational ‘pipe’ on the edge of the area against the Turkish Merih Demiral.

No sticking

But if the former Real Madrid player improved every action that passed through his boots, Al Ittihad lacked the punch to translate any of the plays that the French forward invented into goals.

As confirmed in the 21st minute andn a wall between Karim Benzema and Romarinho that the Brazilian attacker failed to finish after seeing his shot go just wide.

The same failed fate that met each and every one of the opportunities that Al Ittihad managed to generate in the first half that did not stop creating danger on the counterattack.

Al Ahli sentences

Al Ahli, on the other hand, were unable to translate their greater control of the ball into clear scoring opportunities, but did not waste their first great opportunity to take the lead in the 34th minute on the scoreboard.

A goal by Saudi striker Firas Al-Buraikan, which culminated with a first-time shot inside the area, an electric combination between the Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin and the Brazilian Roberto Firmino, a former Liverpool player, who signed a sensational assist.

Result that Al Ittihad tried to equalize in a second half that Gallardo’s men turned into a continuous siege on the goal defended by Edward Mendy.

Read also

In fact, The Senegalese goalkeeper became the great protagonist of the second 45 minutes after preventing the ‘Tigers’ from tying with two sensational saves from headers after a corner kick by Hassan Kadesh and Karim Benzema that seemed destined for a goal.

And where the former Chelsea goalkeeper did not reach, a post appeared that repelled a violent shot from the front of the area by the French midfielder in the 72nd minute. N’Golo Kanté – The Best Of N’Golo Kanté.

Goal disallowed for Firmino

A lack of punching that Al Ahli almost punished with eight minutes remaining with a goal from Firmino that did not get on the scoreboard due to a millimeter offside by the Brazilian striker.

Decision that did not prevent the German Mathias Jaissle win with a victory (1-0) that consolidates Al Ahli in third place in the Saudi Pro League, the last one that guarantees access to the Asian Champions League, with a five-point advantage over Al Ittihad, who will remain anchored in the fourth place.