September 14, (THEWILL) – Al Ittihad snatched a narrow 1-0 win over Al Akhdoud in the Saudi League on Wednesday, thanks to a late goal from Karim Benzema.
The French striker, who joined the Jeddah-based club in the summer, scored his third goal of the season in the 72nd minute, after receiving a pass from Naby Camara. The match was played at the Prince Hahlou Bin Abdul Aziz Sports City Stadium in Najran, where Al Akhdoud were hoping to build on their September 1 win away at Al Riyadh. They defended well for most of the game, but could not create many chances in attack.
The best opportunity for the hosts came in the first half when Hamad Al Mansour’s header went wild. Al Ittihad dominated possession and had more shots on goal, but found it hard to break down Al Akhdoud’s resilient defence. The visitors had to wait until the final 20 minutes to find the breakthrough when Benzema converted Camara’s cross with a clinical finish.
The result means that Ittihad Club have won five of their six games in the league so far, while Al Akhdoud are in 13th place on four points from one win and one draw of their six matches. Al Ittihad are now ahead of Al Hilal, who have a game in hand. Al Akhdoud will face Al Khaleej in their next match, while Ittihad Club will take on AGMK in the AFC Champions League.
The Saudi League is one of the most competitive and lucrative leagues in Asia and has attracted many foreign players and coaches over the summer.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
