Saudi Arabia Karim Benzema scored a backheel but Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a hat-trick, helping Al Hilal beat Al Ittihad 4-3 in round 5 of the Saudi Pro League.
The new stars from Europe all shined, giving football fans in Saudi Arabia an eye-catching match.
As defending champions and playing at home, Al Ittihad started the match better and took the lead with Romarinho's goal.
However, receiving a cross from Saud Abdulhamid, Mitrovic volleyed a skillful one-touch volley to equalize for Al Hilal. Nearly 20 minutes later, Benzema spoke up with a clever move to meet Ahmed Bamsaud's cross. His backheel touch was not strong, but it was surprising enough to make goalkeeper Bono pick the ball out of the net for the second time.
Benzema scored, but could not help Al Ittihad avoid defeat. Photo: Al Ittihad FC
In the eighth minute of first-half stoppage time, Abderazak Hamdallah extended the gap for the home team. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's pass gave the Al Ittihad striker a chance that Hamdallah did not miss, as he had shot wide not long before. In the stands, Al Ittihad fans were excited at the prospect of their team winning their fifth consecutive match.
However, the second half was completely under the control of the visitors. Mitrovic proved that he was the brightest star on the pitch in this match, not Benzema. In the 60th minute, the Serbian striker made goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe falter with a close-range header, before swooping in to score the rebound.
Five minutes later, when Al Hilal were awarded a penalty, Mitrovic fooled Grohe to equalise for the visitors. The former Fulham striker completed his superb performance in the 71st minute. With his superb heading skills, he set up Salem Al Dawsari to tap the ball in from close range, putting Al Hilal ahead for the first time.
With nearly 20 minutes left, and 12 minutes of added time, Al Ittihad could not overcome the opponent's defense once again and had to accept defeat at home. The best chance they missed was when Benzema passed the ball to Muhannad Shanqeeti. But this substitute midfielder could not beat Bono in the face-off.
The win helped Al Hilal surpass their opponents to take the top spot with 13 points after four wins and one draw. Before this round, Al Ittihad was one of two teams with all-winners along with Al Ahli, but this result puts them at risk of falling to fourth.
Vinh San
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