Al Ittihad manager Laurent Blanc is expecting Friday’s match between the Roshn Saudi League leaders and Al Nassr to showcase the very best the competition has to offer.
Blanc's side host their Riyadh rivals at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah knowing victory would ensure they enter the winter break at the summit. The 2022-23 champions, fifth last season, have won all but one of their 12 RSL matches this campaign, including their past eight.
As such, Al Ittihad hold a two-point lead over reigning title-holders Al Hilal, while Al Nassr sit third, eight points off the top.
“It happens everywhere, in France, in Europe; these games are important for both clubs," Blanc said. "But you know in the championship all the games are important. So this game is important for the club, for the players, for the fans, and we have more expectation for. It is a good game to play, for both the teams.”
That the respective team captains, Al Ittihad’s Karim Benzema and Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo, come into the match in fine form only adds to the sense of excitement for the game.
With nine goals each, they rank joint-second in the race for the 2024-25 RSL golden boot – only Al Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic, with 12, has scored more – while the former Real Madrid teammates both netted last time out in the league.
Ronaldo got both goals in Al Nassr’s 2-0 home win against Damac on Friday, with Benzema notching the second in Al Ittihad’s 4-0 victory at Al Ettifaq. The forwards, ranked No.1 and No.2 in Real Madrid’s all-time scorer’s list, are both Ballon d’Or winners; Ronaldo has five to Benzema’s one.
Not that it is needed, but Blanc acknowledges the legendary players’ participation on Friday adds even more flavour to what should be a gripping encounter on the west coast.
“This is very interesting because we have the opportunity to see two of the best players in the past 10 years, in Jeddah, in the stadium: Ronaldo and Benzema,” the Frenchman, appointed at Al Ittihad in the summer, said. “There will be a lot of good players in the stadium, but we will have two Ballon d’Or [winners] there, for the fans to see.
“And we have two players in good condition. This is the reason, I think, all the people want to see the game. This is very interesting because Ronaldo is a scorer and Benzema is a scorer, and it is fantastic to have the possibility to see this game. And also for the managers, we have the possibility to be in the stadium.
“It’s a good game. It’s a good game to play in, it’s a good game to win, because both teams want to win this game and we want to play, in my opinion, offensively.”
When Benzema and Ronaldo met for first time in RSL - In Pictures
