In a thrilling encounter on Thursday night, Karim Benzema delivered a last-gasp winner in stoppage time against Al Taawoun, propelling Al Ittihad back to the top of the Roshn Saudi League table. The 2022-23 champions had to grind hard for their 2-1 victory in Buraidah, despite taking the lead in the first half through the in-form Abdulrahman Al Aboud, who capitalized on a rebound to notch his fourth goal in five RSL matches.
However, Al Taawoun fought back and leveled the score in the 10th minute of first-half added time. Faycal Fajr’s corner found Musa Barrow unmarked at the far post, and the Gambian’s low volley took a deflection off Al Ittihad defender Danilo Pereira before finding the back of the net. The match seemed destined for a draw until the 95th minute, when Houssem Aouar played a brilliant slide-rule pass to Benzema, who calmly slotted the ball past home goalkeeper Abdulquddus Atiah with his left foot. This marked Benzema’s 14th goal of the RSL season, sealing a dramatic win for Al Ittihad.
After the match, Aouar acknowledged the tough challenge posed by Al Taawoun, saying, “They gave us a good fight, but we managed to finish strong. There’s always room for improvement, but for now, we’re happy with the result.” The victory not only showcased Al Ittihad’s resilience but also highlighted Benzema’s clutch performance, much to the delight of their fans.
