In a match that encapsulated both individual brilliance and collective defensive frailty, Karim Benzema scored twice but could not prevent Al-Ittihad from falling to a 4-2 defeat against Qatar’s Al-Duhail in the Asian Champions League Elite on Monday.
The result marks a significant setback for the Saudi Arabian champions, who have now lost three of their opening five games in the continental competition, putting their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage in jeopardy.
Al-Duhail’s Dominance Seals the Win
The story of the match was written by Al-Duhail’s Algerian forward, Adil Boulbina. He single-handedly put the Qatari side in a commanding position, scoring a first-half brace and completing his hat-trick shortly after the restart.
The situation worsened for Al-Ittihad when Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek made it 4-0 with just 16 minutes left on the clock, seemingly putting the game out of reach.
Benzema’s Late Consolation
Facing a humiliating scoreline, Al-Ittihad mounted a late response, with their star striker providing a glimmer of hope. Karim Benzema netted two consolation goals to put a more respectable sheen on the result, but it was too little, too late for the two-time Asian champion.
The defeat leaves Al-Ittihad with a challenging path to qualify for the next round, where only the top eight teams from the 12-team western zone will advance.
Other ACL Results: Defending Champion Al-Ahli Stunned
In other action from the western zone, Ittihad’s Jeddah rivals Al-Ahli, the defending champions, were also dealt a blow, losing 1-0 at home to Al-Sharjah of the UAE. The only goal came from Ousmane Camara in the 81st minute, and a late equalizer from Al-Ahli was ruled out for offside.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Tractor continued its strong campaign with a 1-0 win over Nasaf Qarshi, solidifying its position in the group.
