This Monday, Marcelo Gallardo’s Al-Ittihad beat Al-Wehda 2-1 and qualified for the final of the Saudi Arabia Super Cup. The Muñeco team was superior and should have finished with a greater difference, but lacked aim when it came to the definition. This result is an incentive for the Jeddah team, which is far from the fight for the title in the Saudi Pro League. In the decisive match they will face Neymar’s Al Hilal (he is injured) who won 2-1 against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, who was sent off for an elbow and then threatened to hit the referee from behind.
The victory of Napoleon’s team featured Karim Benzema, who some time ago had a short circuit with the former River Plate coach. At 55 seconds El Gato received it in the area, defined with a half turn and put it in the corner, like in his best times when he broke nets for Real Madrid.
The 36-year-old French attacker left behind a 115-day scoring drought (the last had been on December 15 in the loss against Al-Ahly in the Club World Cup). It was his 12th goal in 26 games with the Saudi team, where he also added 8 assists. El Gato joined in the middle of last year.
Before the break, Gallardo’s team increased the difference and in the 41st minute Abderrazak Hamdallah completed a great play on the right, as he received a cross from the right and scored first. While his rival responded with a shot from Yassin el Welly that went over the crossbar.
Karim Benzema celebrates his goal, number 12 with the Al-Ittihad jacket (@ittihad)
In the second half, Al-Wehda went for the discount and left space for Al-Ittihad to settle the dispute and, for example, in the 72nd minute they scored a goal on the line from Benzema.
However, Al-Wehda also created danger and in the 89th minute the referee awarded a penalty for a handball inside the area by an Al-Ittihad player, but Fayçal Fajr shot his shot over the crossbar.
In added time, Hussain Ahmed Al Eisa defined with a subtlety, as he poked goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf and made it 2-1. He did not reach the cast of Hijaz. Thus, Al-Ittihad took the victory and qualified for the final of the Saudi Arabian Super Cup. There Gallardo will seek his first title in the Middle East, where he arrived in November 2023, after almost a year’s sabbatical.
The victory of the team led by Gallardo represents a relief after being eliminated from the Asia Champions League and having no chance in the Saudi Pro League, where they are fourth with 47 points. The leader is Al Hilal, with 77 units and leads Al-Nassr by 12, after 27 games. On the next date of the local championship he will visit Al-Hazem and then there will be only six games remaining.
