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Karim Benzema Scores Again As Al-Ittihad Qualify For Arab Club Champions Cup Quarter-Finals

Karim Benzema made it two goals in two Arab Club Champions Cup games for Al-Ittihad by scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory over Tunisia's Club Sfaxien.

Robert Summerscales

Karim Benzema Scores Again As Al-Ittihad Qualify For Arab Club Champions Cup Quarter-Finals
Karim Benzema Scores Again As Al-Ittihad Qualify For Arab Club Champions Cup Quarter-Finals /

Karim Benzema made it two goals in two games for Al-Ittihad by scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory over Tunisia's Club Sfaxien on Sunday.

Benzema had also netted the winning goal on his Al-Ittihad debut three days earlier when the Saudi Pro League champions beat another team from Tunisia, ES Tunis, 2-1.

The 35-year-old found the net on Sunday with a classy two-touch finish that concluded with him aiming a low half-volley into the net via the inside of the post.

Club Sfaxien ended the game with just nine players.

Hussein Ali Al-Saedi was sent off just before half-time following an incident which saw his right boot collide with the right cheek of Tarek Hamed, who required surgery to treat a gruesome-looking facial injury.

Balla Moussa Conte was later dismissed in the 84th minute after receiving his second yellow card of the match.

Al-Ittihad have now qualified for the quarter-finals of the Arab Club Champions Cup with a game to spare.

The Jeddah side will win Group A as long as they do not lose to Iraqi champions Al-Shorta on Wednesday.

If Al-Ittihad do lose then they will finish second.

Either way they will face a team from Group B in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

Karim Benzema pictured applauding fans at King Fahd Stadium after scoring in a 1-0 win for Al-Ittihad over Club Sfaxien in July 2023
Karim Benzema pictured applauding fans at King Fahd Stadium after scoring in a 1-0 win for Al-Ittihad over Club Sfaxien on Sunday night :: Twitter/@ittihad_en

Al-Ittihad's potential opponents in the last eight include Qatar's Al Sadd, Morocco's  Wydad or Al Ahli from Tripoli in Libya.

Nuno Espirito Santo's team could also meet Saudi rivals Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals.

But - after taking just one point from their first two group games - Al-Hilal must beat Wydad on Wednesday to stand any chance of qualifying for the knockout phase.

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Robert Summerscales
ROBERT SUMMERSCALES

Robert Summerscales launched FanNation Futbol in February 2022. Rob is a British journalist who previously spent two years on the sports desk at the Daily Mail in London, having earlier served as editor of CaughtOffside.com. He has been to the last two FIFA Men's World Cups, in Russia and Qatar, and is looking forward to completing his hat-trick in North America in 2026.