Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema received armbands and shared a hug in the tunnel as they returned to their respective starting XIs for the clash between title contenders Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League at King Abdullah Sports City of Jeddah. on Friday.
2022 Ballon d’Or winner Benzema has scored 10 times in nine games for his club this season but has missed four of their previous five league games through injury.
Ronaldo, who has won football’s most prestigious individual award six times, has 15 club goals this season but was rested for Al-Nasr’s last-minute 2-1 home defeat by his side Qatar Al Sadd in the AFC Champions League on Monday, having already advanced to the competition.
The pair were teammates at Real Madrid between 2009 and 2018. Ronaldo is the club’s all-time top scorer with 450 goals, just ahead of Benzema’s 354.
🤝🥹#RoshnSaudiLeague #ITTNAS pic.twitter.com/q23iafkbOU
— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) December 6, 2024
Ronaldo vs Benzema
Having been photographed with Ronaldo before kick-off, Benzema started the game for the hosts, who started two points above Al-Hilal at the top of the table after winning 11 of their opening 12 league games.
Al-Nassr had gone more than a year without an away defeat in the league, last losing away to champions Al-Hilal on 1 December 2023.
Game recognition game 🤝#RoshnSaudiLeague #ITTNAS pic.twitter.com/WCMvPLC4lz
— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) December 6, 2024
The prolific striker Taliska was not named in Stefano Pioli’s matchday squad amid reports linking the Brazilian with a move to Turkish title rivals Fenerbahce.
Two-time African Footballer of the Year Sadio Mane has supported Ronaldo in attack, with other stars in the line-up including Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte, who joined the club from Manchester City in 2023.
Soak them all in. This is the climax #RoshnSaudiLeague drama 🔥#ITTNASin a few minutes ⌛️ pic.twitter.com/X046YI61Ld
— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) December 6, 2024
Al-Ittihad: Kante, Fabinho in the starting line-up
Al-Ittihad had hoped Moussa Diaby would return after three games out with a sprained ankle, but the former Aston Villa, Bayer Leverkusen and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was absent again.
New manager Laurent Blanc still had a number of high-profile names to call up behind Benzema, including Netherlands international Steven Bergwijn and Algerian star Houssem Ouar.
Here is Jeddah! 🙌📍pic.twitter.com/NArzTve4NY
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) December 5, 2024
Former Chelsea and Leicester City star N’Golo Kante started alongside Fabinho – formerly of Liverpool and Monaco – in midfield.
Portugal’s Danilo Pereira was part of a defense that went into the match with six clean sheets, with Al Hilal’s surprise 3-2 defeat at Al Khali on November 23 helping Al-Ittihad get through the games.
Al-Nasr started eight points behind the leaders in fourth place. Third Al-Qadsiah inflicted their first defeat of the season on November 22.
