French star Karim Benzema, a player for Al-Hilal's first football team, sent an urgent and enthusiastic message to his team's fans and followers of Saudi football, just hours before the highly anticipated derby match against Al-Ittihad. This crucial encounter is part of the 23rd round of the Saudi Professional League and will be held at the Kingdom Arena, Al-Hilal's new home ground, amidst significant media and fan anticipation.

In a move to heighten the excitement and challenge, Karim Benzema posted a brief but significant message on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, saying: "It's never over... It's almost here." This message is interpreted as a declaration of the veteran striker's complete readiness for this major clash and a confirmation of his desire to make a strong impression in one of the most important matches of the Saudi Arabian football season.

An emotional confrontation and a special challenge for the Dean

This match holds special significance for Karim Benzema, as he will face Al-Ittihad for the first time in Al-Hilal's jersey, following his departure from the "Dean" and his official transfer to "The Leader" in a free transfer that sparked considerable controversy and debate in the sports world. Matches against former clubs are always pivotal moments, imbued with a mix of personal emotions and the professional desire to prove oneself, something Benzema aims to achieve in this classic encounter.

Benzema's stats with Al-Hilal before the Clasico

From a technical and statistical standpoint, Benzema enters the match with a promising scoring record with his new team. Despite playing only two matches for Al-Hilal so far, Karim Benzema has already made his mark. He scored a hat-trick against Al-Akhdoud and provided an assist in those two appearances in the Roshan Professional League, making him a valuable asset that the coaching staff is counting on to secure the points in this match.

The importance of El Clásico and its impact on the league

The Al-Hilal vs. Al-Ittihad match, known as the "Saudi Clasico," is considered one of the most prominent sporting events not only locally, but also regionally and internationally, given the immense popularity of both clubs and their rich history filled with championships and achievements. This match comes at a time when Saudi football is experiencing a tremendous boom and attracting some of the world's brightest stars, drawing the attention of football fans worldwide to the Kingdom Arena to witness this clash of titans.

The result of this match will not only affect the two teams’ standings in the league table, but its effects will extend to the general morale of the players and fans for the remainder of the season, as each side seeks to impose its dominance and confirm its superiority in the race to compete for the Roshan League title, which has become one of the most competitive leagues in the region.

The first football team of Al-Ittihad Saudi Club concluded its journey in the group stage of the AFC Champions League in the best possible way, achieving a wide and well-deserved victory over its host, Al-Sadd of Qatar, with a score of 4-1, in the strong match that took place at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Tuesday evening.

Details of federal control and objectives

Al-Ittihad imposed their attacking style from the opening minutes, translating their dominance into early goals that unsettled the home side. Algerian star Houssem Aouar the scoring in the 10th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error to unleash a powerful shot into the net. Just eight minutes later, Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri the lead in the 18th minute, expertly breaking the offside trap.

Al-Ittihad's pressure continued, resulting in a third goal by own goal, as Al-Sadd defender Pedro Miguel inadvertently turned the ball into his own net in the 33rd minute. Despite Al-Sadd reducing the deficit through Spaniard Rafa Mojica in the 38th minute, Al-Ittihad returned in the second half to extinguish any hopes of a comeback by scoring the fourth goal through Cameroonian Stefan Keller in the 63rd minute.

Goalkeepers shine, but chances go begging

The match was fiercely contested despite the lopsided scoreline, with Al-Ittihad's Serbian goalkeeper, Rajkovic , shining in defense of his goal, making several crucial saves, most notably a shot from Mojica in the 40th minute that nearly changed the course of the game before halftime. Meanwhile, Al-Sadd's goalkeeper, Meshaal Barsham, tried to stem the tide of Al-Ittihad's attacks, but he was unable to contain the Tigers' offensive prowess, especially with the chances squandered by Mohamedou Doumbia and Roger Fernandez.

Group standings and the fiery Round of 16 matchups

With this resounding victory, Al-Ittihad raised their points tally to 15, cementing their place in fourth position in the West Zone group standings. This result has set up an all-Arab clash in the Round of 16, where they will face their Emirati counterparts, Al-Wahda, in a new challenge as they seek the continental title.

On the other hand, Al Sadd's points tally remained at 8, leaving them in eighth place, the last qualifying spot for the next round. This result sets up a very difficult and challenging match for Al Sadd, as they will face group leaders Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in a highly anticipated Gulf-Asian derby.

The importance of winning in the new elite system

This victory is of particular importance as it comes in the first edition of the new system of the tournament (AFC Champions League Elite), where Al-Ittihad seeks to restore its continental glory and send a strong message to its rivals that it is ready to compete for the title, especially since the team showed a strong character away from home and high offensive effectiveness with the diversity of its scorers from different nationalities (Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon), which reflects the great harmony between the team’s elements.

The group stage in the West Zone has officially concluded, setting the stage for the highly anticipated Round of 16 matches of the AFC Champions League . Eight clubs secured their places in this decisive round following the conclusion of the eighth round, which saw Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad defeat Qatar's Al-Sadd, thus completing the semifinal lineup for the upcoming encounters.

Details of the Saudi-Qatari and Emirati confrontations

The final results have set up some high-profile clashes for Saudi clubs, with Al-Hilal to renew their classic rivalry with Qatar's Al-Sadd . The first leg is scheduled for March 3rd or 4th, while the decisive second leg will be played on either March 10th or 11th, in a highly anticipated match for Asian football fans.

In another equally exciting match, Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli Qatar's Al-Duhail King Abdullah Sports City Stadium (The Shining Jewel) in Jeddah, giving Al-Ahli the home advantage in this decisive round.

The third Saudi Arabian representative, Al-Ittihad , will face Al- Wahda of the UAE in a thrilling Gulf derby, as the Jeddah-based club seeks to confirm its dominance and advance to the knockout stages. In the fourth match of this round in the West Zone, Tractor of Iran will meet Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai of the UAE, after both teams displayed impressive performances in the group stage.

A new era for Asian football and the elite system

This edition of the tournament holds exceptional and historic significance as it is the first under the name "AFC Champions League Elite," a new format adopted by the Asian Football Confederation to enhance the tournament's competitiveness and market value. This format reduces the number of participating teams to focus on the strongest clubs in the continent, while significantly increasing prize money, making reaching the knockout stages a major achievement in itself.

Jeddah... the stage for the continental finale

The eyes of Asia are turning to Saudi Arabia, specifically the city of Jeddah, which will host the final stages of the tournament. Following the completion of the Round of 16 matches played over two legs, the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final will be held in a centralized format in Jeddah in the coming period. This decision boosts the chances of Saudi clubs and places a greater responsibility on them to keep the trophy within the Kingdom, given the significant sporting boom the country is experiencing and the substantial support the sports sector is receiving.

Summary of the official matchups for the Round of 16 (West Zone):

• Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) vs. Al-Sadd (Qatar)
• Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia) vs. Al-Duhail (Qatar)
• Al-Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) vs. Al-Wahda (UAE)
• Tractor (Iran) vs Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai (UAE)