Saudi Clasico: Benzema twist adds extra spice to already rich rivalry | OneFootball

As if the Saudi Clasico, considered by many the marquee fixture of the Roshn Saudi League calendar, needed any more meaning.

The match-up between Al Hilal and Al Ittihad is more than simply a football fixture; it’s a meeting of styles, of cultures, of fandom. Of cities. The capital versus the sea. Riyadh versus Jeddah. It’s a clash of giants that, whatever the context and whatever the occasion, always matters.

But this week, this particular Clasico has extra feeling. Not only because of the context of the season, with Al Hilal top of the RSL on goal difference and Al Ittihad, the defending champions, looking to play spoiler in a bid to burnish their own top-four ambitions.

No, this Clasico has an additional plotline. And that centres around Karim Benzema.

One of the standout transfers of the recently concluded winter window involved the then-Al Ittihad captain trading Jeddah for Riyadh, moving from the title-holders to title-chasers Al Hilal.

Before that, Al Ittihad was all Benzema knew in Saudi Arabian football. The former Ballon d’Or arrived in the RSL in the summer of 2023 amid great fanfare, when he was given an understandably superstar reception that went around the world.

Then, only last season, Benzema fired Al Ittihad to their second title in three seasons - he quickly added the King’s Cup - to etch his name firmly into the club’s history.

Then came the surprise switch to Al Hilal.

It’s a divide that has been crossed before - most recently, think Saud Abdulhamid or Saleh Al Shehri - and, when it has, it’s always come with significant sentiment. That’s how football fandom works.

As a quirk of fate, however, little more than two weeks after one of the most seismic switches in modern RSL, Al Ittihad supporters get a chance to exact some revenge on their capital rivals.

While, you would imagine, hope of a successful title defence faded some time ago - Al Ittihad are currently sit seventh, 16 points off the summit - they can certainly hinder Al Hilal’s quest for the top-flight trophy.

Simone Inzaghi’s side, having brilliantly reeled in Al Nassr in pole position, have then let slip a seven-point lead. Any more dropped points at home to Al Ittihad on Saturday could surrender their place at the summit, with Al Nassr, one behind - Al Ahli are second - facing Al Hazem across Riyadh at the same time.

While Al Ittihad would take great satisfaction from dealing a blow to Al Hilal’s title ambitions, it’s also a chance to show they’ve moved on. To demonstrate that they can be, in fact, stronger for the change.

The evidence suggests that might very well be the case. Admittedly, they lost their first match without Benzema, a late 2-0 defeat at Al Nassr, but their form since has been scintillating - both domestically and in Asia.

Benzema’s replacement, Yousef En Nesyri, has made an instant impact. In his second Al Ittihad appearance, the Moroccan registered a goal and an assist in the 7-0 demolition of Qatari side Al Gharafa in the AFC Champions League Elite. Three days later, he opened his RSL account in the victory against Al Fayha.

On Tuesday, En Nesyri was again on the scoresheet as Al Ittihad swatted aside more Qatari opposition in the form of former Asian champions Al Sadd, with an impressive 4-1 win in Doha.

Undeniably, 13 goals in three games is a fair response to losing your captain and leading goalscorer. And, while the bond with Benzema will remain given last season’s spectacular success, you’d forgive Al Ittihad players if they saw Al Hilal on Saturday as a chance to get one over their former comrade.

But, publicly at least, they aren’t giving anything away.

Speaking after that 4-1 demolition of Al Sadd, Algerian midfielder Houssem Aouar responded to a question about Benzema, saying his move was “normal in football.”

Meanwhile, defender Ahmed Sharahili remarked only that the Real Madrid legend is “a great player” who Al Ittihad “respect…and wish all the best”.

There’ll be no room, however, for pleasantries at Kingdom Arena. Because let’s not forget, having switched allegiances, Benzema is now on the cusp of back-to-back RSL titles; something that looked impossible only a few weeks ago.

With the motivation to impress at his new home and show all the fuss was worth it - he did net a hat-trick on debut for his new employers - Al Hilal will most probably be getting the best Benzema against his old club. It’s a scary prospect for the rest of the RSL; that treble at Al Okhdood two matchweeks ago was living proof.

Not just his three goals, but the 6-0 scoreline sent a warning, too, to the likes of Al Ahli, Al Nassr and Al Qadsiah. Namely, catch us if you can.

History is written by the winners and, while we’ll need to wait until the end of the season to see how this Benzema insert plays out, a fresh chapter in Clasico history is about to be penned.