Cristiano Ronaldo’s aspirations for a Saudi Pro League title took a hit during a tense match against Karim Benzema’s Al-Ittihad.
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The five-time Ballon d’Or winner and his Al-Nassr team faced the league leaders on Friday night. ..Continue Reading
It was a reunion for the Real Madrid legends, who have a combined 804 goals for the club. Before the match, Ronaldo and Benzema shared a warm embrace in the tunnel as they prepared to lead their respective teams.
However, the match saw rising tempers, especially in the second half. In a dramatic 10-minute span, Benzema scored for Al-Ittihad, and Ronaldo quickly equalized two minutes later.
Soon after, Ronaldo’s Portuguese teammate Otavio clashed with Benzema, leading to a heated exchange in front of the referee.
Benzema fighting with Otavio
Ronaldo calms him ????pic.twitter.com/0271gjtC9U https://t.co/osBCCscnPt
— fan (@NoodleHairCR7) December 6, 2024
Ronaldo stepped in to diffuse the situation, whispering in Benzema’s ear and leading him away. Both players received cautions but were not sent off.
Despite Ronaldo’s efforts, it was a disappointing outcome for him as Steven Bergwijn, formerly of Tottenham, scored a last-minute winner for Al-Ittihad, securing a 2-1 victory.
This result widened Al-Ittihad’s lead at the top of the table, while Al-Nassr fell to fourth place.
Ronaldo now faces an 11-point deficit to claim his first title with Al-Nassr since joining at the beginning of last year. The match was the last before the Saudi Pro League’s winter break, with Ronaldo ending the year with 43 goals.
The game also balanced Ronaldo’s head-to-head record with Benzema in the Middle East.
Their previous encounter was on Boxing Day 2023, at Al-Ittihad’s Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, where Ronaldo scored twice in a 5-2 away win.
Despite that victory, Al-Nassr finished the season 14 points behind champions Al-Hilal, while Al-Ittihad placed fifth, over 40 points off the top spot.
