Karim Benzema scored twice to guide Al-Ittihad to a 3-1 victory over Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Cup final on Friday, securing a historic domestic double for Laurent Blanc’s side.
Al-Ittihad dominated the clash from the outset and claimed their 10th King’s Cup title, while Al-Qadsiah finished with 10 men after Ezequiel Fernandez was sent off late in the game.
Moussa Diaby came close to breaking the deadlock in the 21st minute but missed a clear chance. Moments later, Al-Qadsiah’s Nacho was spared a penalty call when the ball struck his hand inside the box, with VAR ultimately deciding against awarding a spot-kick.
The breakthrough came in the 34th minute when Benzema expertly chested in a pinpoint cross from Steven Bergwijn. Just before halftime, Houssem Aouar doubled Al-Ittihad’s lead by slotting home the rebound after Koen Casteels parried Benzema’s header.
Al-Qadsiah responded in first-half stoppage time, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang converting a penalty to make it 2-1.
After the break, Benzema nearly added another with a shot that struck the crossbar. Al-Ittihad took a more cautious approach in the second half, focusing on preserving their lead. Goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic came up big in the 80th minute, denying Aubameyang an equalizer.
Al-Qadsiah’s hopes faded further when Fernandez received a second yellow card in the 81st minute, reducing them to 10 men.
Benzema capped off the night — and a stellar season — with his second goal in stoppage time, calmly finishing Diaby’s low cross. Aubameyang nearly pulled one back again but saw his shot bounce off the woodwork in the dying moments.
The win completes a dominant campaign for Al-Ittihad, with Benzema—recently named Saudi Pro League Player of the Season and the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner—proving instrumental in their domestic double triumph.
