JEDDAH: In-form Karim Benzema fired Al-Ittihad to a 2-1 win over Al-Shabab on Wednesday that puts the hosts back level with Al-Hilal at the top of the Saudi Pro League.
The Jeddah giants have 43 points after 16 games, behind Al-Hilal, who defeated Al-Wehda 4-1 on Tuesday, on goal difference. Al-Qadsia are nine points behind in third.
It was a hard-fought win against the visitors from the capital. Al-Ittihad thought they had taken the lead just before the half-hour but Hassan Kadesh’s goal was disallowed for offside.
Fans at King Abdullah Sports City were soon celebrating for real. Benzema had his close-range effort bounce off the goalkeeper but Abdulrahman Al-Oboud was on hand to bundle the ball into the net.
Three minutes into added time, Benzema made no mistake. Hamed Al-Ghamdi had possession on the right side of the area and the oncoming French striker demanded and received the pass, to sweep a first-time shot inside the far post.

It was a fine strike and Benzema’s 12th league goal of the season, to put him level in second place in the scoring rankings along with Aleksandar Mitrovic and just one behind Cristiano Ronaldo. With six assists to his name, the former Real Madrid man already has more goal contributions in his second season in Saudi Arabia, which is one game away from the halfway stage, than he managed in the entirety of his first campaign.
Coach Laurent Blanc was furious two minutes later, however, as the nine-time champions lost concentration with half-time approaching. Daniel Podence had space on the left and the Portuguese star’s low cross found Haroune Camara, who had got in front of his marker inside the six-yard box to reduce the arrears.
The second half saw the Tigers have more of the ball and the chances, but Al-Shabab, with former Ittihad star Abderrazak Hamdallah — who received a warm welcome from fans — leading the line, always carried an air of danger. They were not able to get the all-important equalizer as the hosts took the points to make them level at the top of the league.

RIYADH: Al-Nassr drew 1-1 at Al-Taawoun on Friday to fall further behind their rivals in the Saudi Pro League title race.

The point, which came thanks to a second-half header from former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte, leaves the Yellows in fourth after 15 games of the season with 29 points, two behind Al-Qadsia and 11 behind Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad.

Al-Nassr fell behind in the fifth minute of added time at the end of the first half after some sloppy defending.

Fahad Al-Jumaiya was given too much space on the right side of the area and while his cross cleared the players in the six-yard box, it fell to Saad Al-Nasser. The midfielder, running in from the left, hit it first time and even though the shot was not struck as cleanly as he would have liked, it wrong-footed goalkeeper Bento and ended up in the back of the net.

While it was not the most fluid first half from the visitors from Riyadh, Al-Nassr started to apply more pressure and create more chances after the break thanks to the likes of Sadio Mane and Marcelo Brozovic. The traveling fans had to wait until the 64th minute, however.

There did not seem to be much danger when Angelo had the ball midway through the Al-Taawoun half on the right side but the Brazilian’s curling cross was met on the edge of the six-yard box by Laporte who nodded his team back onto level terms.

Al-Nassr continued to push forward in search of the winning goal with Cristiano Ronaldo going close, as well as Laporte, but it just did not quite happen.

It could have been worse for Stefano Pioli’s men as, deep in added time, Ronaldo, standing on the edge of a wall, seemed to handle a free-kick shot from Musa Barrow. After a check from VAR however, the megastar was cleared of any offense, to the relief of the visitors, who were able to head back to the capital with a point.

The draw means that Al-Nassr are the only team from the top four not to take maximum points in this round of games as the league approaches the halfway stage.

Al-Qadsia won 3-0 at Al-Wehda earlier in the day and are in third. The top two enjoyed convincing wins on Thursday. Al-Hilal thrashed Al-Fateh 9-0 to equal their biggest ever league win, while Al-Ittihad stayed level on points, but second on goal difference, with a 4-1 victory at home to Al-Raed.