Saudi Professional League 2023/2024

[Xxmodded]

Al-Ittihad finally won their first win in the remainder of this season and as we know they are very down after failing to win in the last 3 matches. This was quite a landslide victory for Al-Itthad and Al-Tae was not enough to stop them at home. Apart from that, there was something strange in this match because Karim Benzema was not in the starting line up and even his name was not available on the bench.

It seems that Karim Benzema is focusing on individual training and because of that he was not brought by coach Gallardo in the opening match of the remainder of the season last night. However, I hope that in the next match Karim Benzema can appear and strengthen Al-Ittihad while dispelling all the rumors that doubt him. Well, Al-Ittihad must focus everything on continuing this positive trend and at the same time being able to return to the top flight because it is quite strange to see the defending champions experiencing a drastic decline this season.

Al Ittihad have opening good start for the first Saudi Pro League match after break out more than one month, Al Ittihad won over 0-3 against Al Tai and success stopping with bad result last several matches before AFC Asian Cup break out. Three points make Al Ittihad moving up few standings position although seems pessimistic with their opportunity for defending the domestic league tittle or get AFC Champion League spot standings.
Last match, Al Ittihad starting line up still not has Karim Benzema in the list name and seems still get problem with Al Ittihad manager and hope upcoming match in AFC Champion League he will return and get in the starting eleven name. Karim Benzema has much experienced and he will help Al Ittihad get good achieving in AFC Champion League against Nnavbahor on the first leg match.

[Toro iskandar]

Al-Ittihad finally won their first win in the remainder of this season and as we know they are very down after failing to win in the last 3 matches. This was quite a landslide victory for Al-Itthad and Al-Tae was not enough to stop them at home. Apart from that, there was something strange in this match because Karim Benzema was not in the starting line up and even his name was not available on the bench.

It seems that Karim Benzema is focusing on individual training and because of that he was not brought by coach Gallardo in the opening match of the remainder of the season last night. However, I hope that in the next match Karim Benzema can appear and strengthen Al-Ittihad while dispelling all the rumors that doubt him. Well, Al-Ittihad must focus everything on continuing this positive trend and at the same time being able to return to the top flight because it is quite strange to see the defending champions experiencing a drastic decline this season.

The victory achieved by Al Ittihad was an extraordinary victory, why not? because Al Taee was defeated at home by the Al Ittihad Team with a landslide victory of 3-0 without any reply. In my opinion, Al Ittihad played very well and neatly because in the first half alone they were able to score 2 goals without reply and with this victory of course the Al Ittihad players took advantage of their more aggressive attitude and put pressure on the Al Taee squad. defense. However, unlike the Al Taee players, Al Ittihad scored 2 goals in the first half, making the Al Taee players' performance decline and they lacked confidence so they were unable to score a goal back for Al Ittihad in the first half.

Yes, I also thought about why Karim Banzema was not used or was on the bench, whether he was training specifically to support Al Ittihad in the next match. It could be that this is coach Gallardo's plan or strategy not to play Karim Benzema.

[Volgastallion]

But men if Karim resumes the training sessions just now is very complicated to be in the next game,for that he is not playing surely, and also i support the idea Gallardo coach is gonna delay the re entry of him for being a troublemaker player, but that is another part of the history.

[MusaMohamed]

Yes, I also thought about why Karim Banzema was not used or was on the bench, whether he was training specifically to support Al Ittihad in the next match. It could be that this is coach Gallardo's plan or strategy not to play Karim Benzema.

Benzema was not allowed to train with other players in Al-Ittihad and he still had to do physical exercises with players who are in recovery process after injuries. The conflict between Benzema and his coach Gallardo still exists and has yet been resolved.

The drama continues with latest actions from both Benzema and Gallardo and will rumor that Benzema move to Al Nassr become true?

No official talk between two clubs about the transfer but rumor is already around. Benzema will feel interesting to become team mate of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mane and Brozovic. He will have to continue this season in Saudi Arabia before finding a club in Europe next season.

[tusandii]

The victory achieved by Al Ittihad was an extraordinary victory, why not? because Al Taee was defeated at home by the Al Ittihad Team with a landslide victory of 3-0 without any reply. In my opinion, Al Ittihad played very well and neatly because in the first half alone they were able to score 2 goals without reply and with this victory of course the Al Ittihad players took advantage of their more aggressive attitude and put pressure on the Al Taee squad. defense. However, unlike the Al Taee players, Al Ittihad scored 2 goals in the first half, making the Al Taee players' performance decline and they lacked confidence so they were unable to score a goal back for Al Ittihad in the first half.

Yes, I also thought about why Karim Banzema was not used or was on the bench, whether he was training specifically to support Al Ittihad in the next match. It could be that this is coach Gallardo's plan or strategy not to play Karim Benzema.

I think the reason Benzema is only sitting on the bench is because he violated club rules when he was not present at training and as punishment he will be loaned to a European club and until now there has been no confirmation which European club would accept Benzema even though his performance has really declined. .
I was not surprised to see Ittihad easily beat Al-Ta'e because the club was in a very bad condition while Ittihad still had pretty good players and in terms of performance Ittihad was far superior.
With the 3-0 result, Ittihad is very confident that it can strengthen its performance again in the upcoming match.

[Jody.Drummer]

Yes, it's true, he also looks happier, more comfortable and enthusiastic when he's here, we didn't see that when he was in the Manchester United uniform. I started to believe what Ronaldo said about the real situation at Manchester United, from the atmosphere in the dressing room to the situation surrounding Manachester United's management.
We can see him being successful once again with a different club, even though he hasn't won the SPL title for example, but we can't deny that his performance was also very good here and made a big contribution to Al Nassr's game.
But I'm still curious when he retires. Is he interested in coaching? Will he become a coach? If yes I want to see if he will be as successful as his career as a player? that's what's on my mind now.

but I don't want to see him coach any team. he is very good on the field, and he is also very good at encouraging his teammates. he can be the driving force of the team. and everything he has built amazingly, I hope it won't be destroyed when he coaches a club.
We have seen several names of top European players who have decided to train clubs. there are successful ones like Xavi and Xabi. but some always fail and even get cursed by fans.
If Ronaldo has to retire at Al Nassr, that wouldn't be a bad ending for him.

Precisely because he has that, he can be a mental boost for his teammates, both when playing at the club and when playing for Portugal. Perhaps we remember the time he encouraged another player to take a penalty with confidence when playing for Portugal, and in the end that player was able to successfully do his job very well.
A coach needs to have a high sense of leadership, and he was able to do that as a player which might be a precursor when he becomes a coach. That will be very useful if applied to his team later.
Yeah I wouldn't mind where he retires, if he decides to retire at Al Nassr that's great, but if he wants to retire at the club where he was first discovered that's not bad either.

[rahmad2nd]

Al Hilal vs Al Nassr.

This match was finally held and was won by Al Hilal again, both teams played with full squads, only Mane was played as a reserve player in this match. During the match, Al Hilal took a quick lead in the 17th minute with a goal scored by Segej Millinkovic-Savic. In the 30th minute, Al Hilal increased its lead to 2-0, a goal scored by Salem Al Dawsari. until the match was over, neither team had scored a goal, either increasing their advantage or reducing their position.
in this match, Ronaldo's performance was not very good and he was not even able to score a goal. apart from that, wing defender Al Nassr underperformed.
Meanwhile for Al Hilal, only Michel had a bad performance. but overall, the Al Hilal players played as they should.

Technically, Al Nassr is superior in several aspects. Likewise in terms of opportunities. but unfortunately, of the 14 total shots, only 2 shots were on target, 3 were big opportunities. In contrast, Al Hilal only had 10 total shots, 6 shots on target, 2 big chances, and two opportunities that they converted into goals. in the end, Al Hilal won this match. plus, they continued their unbeaten streak so far. As for Al Nassr, whether this is a friendly match or not. What is certain is that in the 2024 Riyadh Season Cup, Al Nassr will lose to Al Hilal.

[kawetsriyanto]

Benzema was not allowed to train with other players in Al-Ittihad and he still had to do physical exercises with players who are in recovery process after injuries. The conflict between Benzema and his coach Gallardo still exists and has yet been resolved.

I didn't see Benzema on the lineup both in the starting lineup and the bench. I think Benzema is still injured, he is focusing on the recovery. Benzema often struggles with injury for this season, it is a big obstacle for him to play well.

The conflict should be finished soon if Al Ittihad wants to keep focusing on winning every match. Benzema is the captain, he must have a good relationship among the players, coach, and club staffs.

The drama continues with latest actions from both Benzema and Gallardo and will rumor that Benzema move to Al Nassr become true?

I'm surprised about this rumor. How can Benzema to try moving to another team?
I doubt if he will join Al Nassr because al Nassr has enough good attackers. They have Ronaldo, Mane, and Talisca, they are not urgent for a new striker.

[Leviathan.007]

Since news emerged that Benzema would leave Al Ittihad, at that time I thought the news was definitely not true. Then in the end my assessment turned out to be correct. The reason is that in one of the news media, Benzema once said that all this news was just lies. So after I read the news, I became even more convinced that Benzema would definitely stay at Al Ittihad. Although from the start of the season until now Benzema's performance at Al Ittihad has not been optimal. But that doesn't mean Benzema will just give up and move to another club. Therefore, Benzema will definitely fight hard to be able to show his best performance at Al Ittihad for the remainder of this season.

So when saw that Benzema had returned to training with his teammates at Al Ittihad, all the fake news had been clearly proven to be lies. Therefore, now Al Ittihad fans and also Benzema fans are definitely more relieved by this. Even though in the Al Ittihad versus Al Tae match, Benzema has not yet played. But I'm sure that in the next match, Benzema will definitely play again. Because in the next match Al Ittihad will compete in the Asian Champions League (ACL) against Navbahor. So in this match Benzema's abilities will definitely be needed, therefore it is very likely that Benzema will return as the main starter for Al Ittihad.

The switch to any club in some situations is a decision to be made by the player. Benzema has had quite an eventful time with Real Madrid. He impacted the team in his own special level of performance. Definitely he's got to get for himself widespread experience. And I believe a move away from the Saudi side by summer is still very possible, maybe to a club in the EPL or other European leagues.

 In this case, he's got to consider a number of factors and they are technically a determinant of how effective their new move decision would be for them. An EPL club move won't be a bad option for Benzema to pick even though the league is very much competitive, adding that he's advancing gradually in age and so he's got a few impacts that he can make before retirement. But his experience would add alot to any club he decides next.

Benzema leaving Al Ittihad is the best option he can ever have for the net season because he does not have good performance anymore in the Saudi League and Let's say Benzema is getting far from that legendary player we knew before. When he was playing in Real Madrid he was very much effective but now Benzema is even far from the first squad of Al Ittihad and maybe it's the time for them to return to Europa.

[QueenVera]

The victory achieved by Al Ittihad was an extraordinary victory, why not? because Al Taee was defeated at home by the Al Ittihad Team with a landslide victory of 3-0 without any reply. In my opinion, Al Ittihad played very well and neatly because in the first half alone they were able to score 2 goals without reply and with this victory of course the Al Ittihad players took advantage of their more aggressive attitude and put pressure on the Al Taee squad. defense. However, unlike the Al Taee players, Al Ittihad scored 2 goals in the first half, making the Al Taee players' performance decline and they lacked confidence so they were unable to score a goal back for Al Ittihad in the first half.

Yes, I also thought about why Karim Banzema was not used or was on the bench, whether he was training specifically to support Al Ittihad in the next match. It could be that this is coach Gallardo's plan or strategy not to play Karim Benzema.

Al-Ittihad are back to winning ways and you could see that they play better than before. The whole team took this match very seriously and maintained utmost pressure in the Al Taee defense. Yes this pressure made the Al Taee players lose balance while on the pitch especially after they were 2-0 down. One noticeable absentee was Benzema and we thought that could be the coach tactics to probably bring this hunger from his young team

 Yes and that tactics has worked as we can see how demanding the Al-Ittihad players were and how they applied necessary amount of pressure to get the win and it was  deserved. This win will be a big boost for them while going forward I believe, they need it so bad to boost them in the standings.

[Josefjix]

But men if Karim resumes the training sessions just now is very complicated to be in the next game,for that he is not playing surely, and also i support the idea Gallardo coach is gonna delay the re entry of him for being a troublemaker player, but that is another part of the history.

Everyone have a different idea. Most European players have learnt a great deal from Karim Benzema circumstances in Saudi Arabia, there's a whole lot they have stood to understand, not everything becomes concrete for the team. What's the whole problem circulating Karim Benzema in his new SPL club? We're quite aware of the difficult challenges facing the Frenchman, he just have to explore more techniques to stay on the right path, no major winnings comes easy, there's immense level of sacrifice that will be triggered before witnessing these great results.

[aylabadia05]

Al Hilal vs Al Nassr.

Technically, Al Nassr is superior in several aspects. Likewise in terms of opportunities. but unfortunately, of the 14 total shots, only 2 shots were on target, 3 were big opportunities. In contrast, Al Hilal only had 10 total shots, 6 shots on target, 2 big chances, and two opportunities that they converted into goals. in the end, Al Hilal won this match. plus, they continued their unbeaten streak so far. As for Al Nassr, whether this is a friendly match or not. What is certain is that in the 2024 Riyadh Season Cup, Al Nassr will lose to Al Hilal.

Even though it was just an ordinary match, the defeat suffered by Al Nassr had a real impact in that Al Hilal was still a stronger team than Al Nassr.
Regarding Al Hilal and Al Nassr statistics, the Al Nassr squad is superior to Al Ahli in several aspects. Starting from shot statistics, defense, duels, passes to ball possession.

The results of this match are a benchmark that Al Nassr's front line, led by Ronaldo, still has many shortcomings that need to be improved.
Al Nassr's player rating does not reach 7, on average they only get a number below 7.
Ronaldo, who got enough rest time because he didn't play when Al Nassr beat Inter Miami, also didn't get a good rating in this match.

[ginsan]

But men if Karim resumes the training sessions just now is very complicated to be in the next game,for that he is not playing surely, and also i support the idea Gallardo coach is gonna delay the re entry of him for being a troublemaker player, but that is another part of the history.

It seems that Gallardo and Benzema relationship is getting worse day by day. In fact, if you look at Benzema with Real Madrid in the previous season, of course he never caused trouble at the club, but when he joined Al Ittihad his behavior was not as good as when he was with Real Madrid. I might think that the mismatch with the coach will make it difficult for him to make a big contribution to Al Ittihad this season. Yes, he has to change his attitude and apologize to the coach in order to improve their relationship, but if Benzema insists on not apologizing then we will see one of them leaving Al ittihad at the end of this competition.

I don't know what happened, of course there were a lot of problems with Benzema when he joined Al Ittihad. He must show a professional attitude as the best player playing in the Saudi Arabian league because his behavior so far has certainly tarnished his best reputation. But perhaps he has thought everything through carefully because Benzema class will certainly easily return to a European team if he no longer feels comfortable playing at Al Ittihad.

[QueenVera]

Even though it was just an ordinary match, the defeat suffered by Al Nassr had a real impact in that Al Hilal was still a stronger team than Al Nassr.
Regarding Al Hilal and Al Nassr statistics, the Al Nassr squad is superior to Al Ahli in several aspects. Starting from shot statistics, defense, duels, passes to ball possession.

The results of this match are a benchmark that Al Nassr's front line, led by Ronaldo, still has many shortcomings that need to be improved.
Al Nassr's player rating does not reach 7, on average they only get a number below 7.
Ronaldo, who got enough rest time because he didn't play when Al Nassr beat Inter Miami, also didn't get a good rating in this match.

A match like that is not just an ordinary one even though it's just a friendly match, yes because of the rivalry between both teams. These are the two strongest team in the league currently and when they meet eachother the match always tend to be very tough, I'm pretty aware Al-Hilal are the hosting team and have more opportunities in winning based on their home advantage but I didn't expect a win without any goal from Al-Nassr, they're a strong team and they showed their capacity when they faced Inter Miami so they should be capable of scoring a goal in that game.

 Well Al-Hilal has proved that they're really serious this season, this is the 2nd time they're defeating Al-Nassr after they lost a cup to them. Al-Nassr shouldn't take this defeat likely even though it's just a friendly game, it shows that their are still some loopholes in the team to be amended. Yes they might be resting some players or saying their strength for important fixtures ahead but then loosing 2-0 to their toughest rivals is still something to worry about.

[ndutndut]

Yes, I also thought about why Karim Banzema was not used or was on the bench, whether he was training specifically to support Al Ittihad in the next match. It could be that this is coach Gallardo's plan or strategy not to play Karim Benzema.

Benzema was not allowed to train with other players in Al-Ittihad and he still had to do physical exercises with players who are in recovery process after injuries. The conflict between Benzema and his coach Gallardo still exists and has yet been resolved.

The drama continues with latest actions from both Benzema and Gallardo and will rumor that Benzema move to Al Nassr become true?

No official talk between two clubs about the transfer but rumor is already around. Benzema will feel interesting to become team mate of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mane and Brozovic. He will have to continue this season in Saudi Arabia before finding a club in Europe next season.

Benzema's relationship with the coach seems no longer healthy for the team, even if Benzeman stays and plays, his performance will certainly not be optimal. Now, with the dispute still ongoing, Benzema is receiving additional training from the coach. Gallardo asked Benzema to continue to train extra in the gym to find his physical condition before he can join the other players.

With tensions continuing to rise like this, a move might be a solution for Benzema and the team. However, so far it is not known for certain which team Benzema will go to. However, I also agree with the rumors circulating that Al Nassr is interested in Benzema because it would be very nice for me as a Real Madrid fan to see former Real Madrid players playing in the same team again.

[Plaguedeath]

Technically, Al Nassr is superior in several aspects. Likewise in terms of opportunities. but unfortunately, of the 14 total shots, only 2 shots were on target, 3 were big opportunities. In contrast, Al Hilal only had 10 total shots, 6 shots on target, 2 big chances, and two opportunities that they converted into goals. in the end, Al Hilal won this match. plus, they continued their unbeaten streak so far. As for Al Nassr, whether this is a friendly match or not. What is certain is that in the 2024 Riyadh Season Cup, Al Nassr will lose to Al Hilal.

At least Al Nassr was humiliating Inter Miami for scored 6 goals without a concede, so it's already over to say Messi is a GOAT or Messi is better than Ronaldo.

With tensions continuing to rise like this, a move might be a solution for Benzema and the team. However, so far it is not known for certain which team Benzema will go to. However, I also agree with the rumors circulating that Al Nassr is interested in Benzema because it would be very nice for me as a Real Madrid fan to see former Real Madrid players playing in the same team again.

This will make Benzema has no position to play if he join Al Nassr, Ronaldo will always become a striker for Al Nassr, he won't be replaced except he's injured or tired. It's better for Benzema to join Lyon instead, he need to save his old team from relegation zone.

[HajiBagi]

Al Hilal vs Al Nassr.

This match was finally held and was won by Al Hilal again, both teams played with full squads, only Mane was played as a reserve player in this match. During the match, Al Hilal took a quick lead in the 17th minute with a goal scored by Segej Millinkovic-Savic. In the 30th minute, Al Hilal increased its lead to 2-0, a goal scored by Salem Al Dawsari. until the match was over, neither team had scored a goal, either increasing their advantage or reducing their position.
in this match, Ronaldo's performance was not very good and he was not even able to score a goal. apart from that, wing defender Al Nassr underperformed.
Meanwhile for Al Hilal, only Michel had a bad performance. but overall, the Al Hilal players played as they should.

Technically, Al Nassr is superior in several aspects. Likewise in terms of opportunities. but unfortunately, of the 14 total shots, only 2 shots were on target, 3 were big opportunities. In contrast, Al Hilal only had 10 total shots, 6 shots on target, 2 big chances, and two opportunities that they converted into goals. in the end, Al Hilal won this match. plus, they continued their unbeaten streak so far. As for Al Nassr, whether this is a friendly match or not. What is certain is that in the 2024 Riyadh Season Cup, Al Nassr will lose to Al Hilal.

Al Hilal is a team whose players always go above and beyond to ensure that their goals are achieved. Just by looking at them, you can tell that Al Hilal will win this match; Al Nassr did not even anticipate it would be this difficult because from the way they played in the first half, it was obvious that they would lose. Al Hilal took advantage of the opportunity they had in the first half to win the game because both of their goals came from that half, and after the 2-0 score, they continued to defend their goal, ensuring that Al Nassr would not score any goals during the match.

I believe that Al Nassr shouldn't even worry about themselves this season because Al Hilal is the team that has the potential to win the Saudi Pro League title. Their players are excellent, and they can perform well even without Neymar on the team. In my opinion, the team signed Neymar merely out of curiosity rather than with the intention of winning the league. Instead, I believe that they signed Neymar to let themselves know that they have one of the best players on the team.

[Uruhara]

Al Hilal vs Al Nassr.

This match was finally held and was won by Al Hilal again, both teams played with full squads, only Mane was played as a reserve player in this match. During the match, Al Hilal took a quick lead in the 17th minute with a goal scored by Segej Millinkovic-Savic. In the 30th minute, Al Hilal increased its lead to 2-0, a goal scored by Salem Al Dawsari. until the match was over, neither team had scored a goal, either increasing their advantage or reducing their position.
in this match, Ronaldo's performance was not very good and he was not even able to score a goal. apart from that, wing defender Al Nassr underperformed.
Meanwhile for Al Hilal, only Michel had a bad performance. but overall, the Al Hilal players played as they should.

Technically, Al Nassr is superior in several aspects. Likewise in terms of opportunities. but unfortunately, of the 14 total shots, only 2 shots were on target, 3 were big opportunities. In contrast, Al Hilal only had 10 total shots, 6 shots on target, 2 big chances, and two opportunities that they converted into goals. in the end, Al Hilal won this match. plus, they continued their unbeaten streak so far. As for Al Nassr, whether this is a friendly match or not. What is certain is that in the 2024 Riyadh Season Cup, Al Nassr will lose to Al Hilal.

Al-Hilal in that match still proved that they are still the strongest this season. Although Al-Nassr was indeed able to create more attacks and pressure but unfortunately Al-Nassr's completion was not so good. C.Ronaldo who just recovered from injury also did not look as aggressive as usual. And actually by looking at this match alone has provided a clear picture for us that Al-hilal is likely to lift the trophy in the SPL this season. Al-Nassr although much better than other teams but still cannot be better than Al-Hilal. While Al-Ittihad, who won last season, seems to have fallen far behind and it seems impossible for them to catch up with Al-hilal who has not been defeated until now in the SPL.

[Franctoshi]

Al-Hilal in that match still proved that they are still the strongest this season. Although Al-Nassr was indeed able to create more attacks and pressure but unfortunately Al-Nassr's completion was not so good. C.Ronaldo who just recovered from injury also did not look as aggressive as usual. And actually by looking at this match alone has provided a clear picture for us that Al-hilal is likely to lift the trophy in the SPL this season. Al-Nassr although much better than other teams but still cannot be better than Al-Hilal. While Al-Ittihad, who won last season, seems to have fallen far behind and it seems impossible for them to catch up with Al-hilal who has not been defeated until now in the SPL.

  Though that Al-Hilal is gaping Al-Nassr with way 7 points, There is still this possibility that Al-Nassr can close up the gap between them Al-Hilal before the end of the season and possibly lift the trophy. I would say that their poor performance was hugely affected by Cristiano Ronaldo's not being in his usual form due to injury, because of his incredible contribution to the team.

[Blitzboy]

Al-Ittihad finally won their first win in the remainder of this season and as we know they are very down after failing to win in the last 3 matches. This was quite a landslide victory for Al-Itthad and Al-Tae was not enough to stop them at home. Apart from that, there was something strange in this match because Karim Benzema was not in the starting line up and even his name was not available on the bench.

It seems that Karim Benzema is focusing on individual training and because of that he was not brought by coach Gallardo in the opening match of the remainder of the season last night. However, I hope that in the next match Karim Benzema can appear and strengthen Al-Ittihad while dispelling all the rumors that doubt him. Well, Al-Ittihad must focus everything on continuing this positive trend and at the same time being able to return to the top flight because it is quite strange to see the defending champions experiencing a drastic decline this season.

The victory achieved by Al Ittihad was an extraordinary victory, why not? because Al Taee was defeated at home by the Al Ittihad Team with a landslide victory of 3-0 without any reply. In my opinion, Al Ittihad played very well and neatly because in the first half alone they were able to score 2 goals without reply and with this victory of course the Al Ittihad players took advantage of their more aggressive attitude and put pressure on the Al Taee squad. defense. However, unlike the Al Taee players, Al Ittihad scored 2 goals in the first half, making the Al Taee players' performance decline and they lacked confidence so they were unable to score a goal back for Al Ittihad in the first half.

Yes, I also thought about why Karim Banzema was not used or was on the bench, whether he was training specifically to support Al Ittihad in the next match. It could be that this is coach Gallardo's plan or strategy not to play Karim Benzema.

They were better than Al Taee, especially after scoring two goals early on that set the tone for the game. I believe that their aggressive style of play and ability to keep the heat on helped them win. Its possible that Coach Gallardo sat Benzema for tactical reasons. Sometimes switching up the lineup and giving younger players a chance to show what they can do can get the team more excited and hungry.

My research shows that Benzema's position might be more complicated than tactical. Reports of discipline problems may explain why he was put on the bench. Even though its dangerous, if it turns out to be true, it shows that the club values discipline and teamwork more than star power. The fact that they won without Benzema shows how deep and determined the team is.