(Riyadh) For his first in the Saudi championship under the colors of Al-Ittihad, the golden ball Karim Benzema remained silent, but was a passer in the victory of his team on Monday (3-0) at Buraidah, on the first day of the Saudi Pro League.
In a meeting dominated by the defending champions on the lawn of Al-Raed, 10th last year, it was not the prestigious recruits-Benzema, Fabinho, Ngolo Kanté, but Abderrazak Hamdallah (59th) and Igor Coronado (73rd , 80th), already present for two years, which drew the victory of the men of Nuno Espirito Santo.
After 14 years spent under the white tunic of Real Madrid, it is again in white, Al-Ittihad away shirt, and his eternal N.9 on the back, that Benzema made his debut in this championship that he joined in the offseason for three years.
Obviously expected, naturally sought after by his teammates, the French striker tried without yet seeming very dangerous.
There was indeed a strike from outside the area (27th), not wound enough to worry goalkeeper Ahmad Al Harbi. Then a well-shot free kick, but captured in the second half (56th), and a shot again on target, but also blocked at the end of the game (95th).
Karim Benzema is part of the contingent of stars who joined Saudi Arabia this summer, including Kanté and Fabinho, also starters on Monday.
It was also following a tackle from Fabinho that “KB9” served the Moroccan international Abderrazak Hamdallah, who, with a good shot, delivered his team in the second half (59th).
Coronado then scored a brace, the second of which came after a repelled strike from Kanté, to allow the defending champions to take shelter permanently in the heat of Buraidah (more than 40 degrees), in the northeast of the kingdom .
After a record summer transfer window, following on from the arrival in January of five-time Ballon d’Or Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, the Saudi Pro League is attracting curiosity with a string of big names.
On Friday, Al-Ahli won ahead of Al-Hazem (3-1) with a hat-trick from Roberto Firmino, who arrived free from Liverpool. The latter was accompanied in the starting 11 by other former Premier League players: Allan Saint-Maximim (Newcastle), Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City), goalkeeper Edouard Mendy (Chelsea), but also former Barcelona Franck Kessié.
Al-Hilal, who could enlist the Brazilian star of PSG Neymar, for his part won Monday 3-1 against Abha, thanks to a hat-trick from another Brazilian, Malcom, passed by the Girondins de Bordeaux and Barcelona.
