On matchday 4 of the Roshn Saudi League 2024, the star-studded teams Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad came up against each other. Al-Hilal showcased their dominance right from the start and Mitrovic scored a brace in less than 15 minutes. In the 37th minute, Aldawsari extended the lead to 3 - 0 for Al-Hilal. Later in the 86th minute of the game, Al-Ittihad scored a consolation goal thanks to Benzema which ended a thrilling match.
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00:00The biggest game of the season so far in the Roshan Saudi League, the top two meeting head-on
00:14and it's Al-Hilal wearing all blue defending the goal away to our left-hand side in the
00:20first half. Don Hutchison is alongside me and so often we've seen Al-Hilal make quick
00:25starts and win the game very rapidly and it's important for Al-Hilal that they don't make
00:31the same mistake but they come forward themselves in the opening seconds and what a sensational
00:36start Moussa Diaby putting the ball into the back of the net but the flag was raised and
00:42the celebrations were stalled. Well that's an early warning to Al-Hilal if they're going
00:47to try and play a high line with no pressure on the ball you know he's just ran a fraction
00:51early there Moussa Diaby needed to be a little bit more patient with his run but that is
00:55a fast start from the away side shame the goal will not stand. But the flag was very quickly up
01:00and it was the correct decision. Al-Nusawi and now Malcolm first opportunity for him to attack
01:14and then the header is in from Mitrovic one chance one goal from Alexander Mitrovic he
01:22haunted Al-Hilal throughout the whole of last season and he's doing the same again with less
01:28than three minutes played here. Incredible I mean they are obviously carrying scar tissue
01:32Al-Hilal from not beating Al-Hilal last season but they started quite well had a goal disallowed
01:38from Moussa Diaby running offside but this team are so dependent on Alexander Mitrovic.
01:44Malcolm, Djokovic.
01:54Malcolm holding the width, Djokovic is in behind it's blocked by Rijkovic pinball inside the
02:01penalty area for a second and now Malcolm with the curler and it almost goes in off
02:05Milinkovic savage. Well they look very shaky Alitya at the back look a little bit nervy
02:15here is the counter-attack from Al-Nusawi and he is chopped down by N'Golo Kante and that will be
02:22the game's first yellow card. That was very wild a tackle from N'Golo Kante. Al-Nusawi
02:29tracked Shankiti back and then Brogue got on the ball drove inside Kante. Milinkovic
02:36savage will hit it Rijkovic beats it away and Al-Nusawi was quickly on to the rebound
02:43and it scrambled to safety. Rijkovic has been very busy 12 minutes in one goal going in against
02:48them but he's made two really good saves in the game. Al-Nusawi playing the ball short and the
02:55cross in towards the near post and it's guided clear but it's quickly coming back the challenge
03:01and that will be a penalty. Al-Hamri taking out Rayan Lodhi he's quick to appeal but Al-Halal
03:11on first viewing have the opportunity to double their lead in a penalty kick and Mitrovic here
03:18up against Rijkovic. Mitrovic makes no mistake and Al-Halal are making short work of a Saudi
03:29Clasico once again 2-0. Alitya have fallen apart early on first 15 minutes of the game it's the
03:35nightmare start the 2-0 behind. Al-Halal have come at the traps absolutely on fire. Mitrovic
03:45bags his brace very very naive defending going on for Alitya. Here is Renan loading forward again
03:55Marcus Llorente was looking for the shorter ball it's back towards Malcolm he lays the ball down
04:00Milinkovic Savic was looking to tee up Mitrovic again Danilo with the challenge. Well how does
04:06this start being though they are absolutely flowing Al-Halal playing some wonderful football.
04:12Here is Al-Shankhiti, Benzema, Bergwijn delivering the cross which is deflected behind by Lodhi
04:22and it's a first corner for Alitya. Benzema will be one of the targets.
04:28Flighted in, cleared initially and there is Benzema beaten away by Bono and the cross back
04:37into the penalty area Antan Bagti will head the ball away but the flag is up for offside but
04:42Yassine Bono called into action there. Good save. Soon as it fell to Benzema on his right foot once
04:48it was laid off you could see what he was going for top right hand corner. Goalkeeper just about
04:53read it good footwork important save. Aldessari now comes forward Renan Lodhi with the cross
05:00and Malcolm good save by Raikovic. All their starting points Al-Halal have came down their
05:05left-hand side Aldessari and Renan Lodhi and look at that for a ball as well and here was an
05:18opportunity to make it three and that is absolutely brilliant from Salim Aldessari. The captain
05:26delivers and one of Saudi Arabia's finest lights up the Saudi Classico. Kadesh that's a good
05:35crossing headed down to Benzema who scores but the flag has been raised. Yeah I don't think it's
05:43Karim Benzema that was offside. I think it was from the crossing always fancied of them once
05:49it got knocked down even onto his left foot he fancied Benzema to finish it off but that's
05:53where Al-Halal have kept their line. Correct call from the linesman. Malenkovic, Savic, Mitrovic
06:07in the end he's penalized and he's still laboring for that hat-trick. He wants it badly, don't blame him.
06:18You could make a case to say that Al-Halal have looked to beat the side from about the third
06:27minute but here is Moussa Diaby breaking into the penalty area but his touch just took him too close
06:34to Boner who's able to make the save. Here is Moussa Diaby streaking clear now and Benzema
06:44will score. And those Al-Etihad fans do have a goal to celebrate. Well that's the service he wants
06:54he can't miss Benzema. Moussa Diaby was brave because he got whacked down front behind in a
07:00bad tackle. Referee done the right thing by playing the advantage. That's twice in the last
07:05sort of 10 minutes they figured out how to get Moussa Diaby in behind. It's a clever little ball
07:11watch his tackle here on him it's not a pretty one. He does the right thing putting it on a
07:16plate for Karim Benzema. If it was Al-Hamry who caught him late it would have been a penalty I think
07:22Had Benzema not scored
07:27Well Oconte running behind here from Al-Sharif
07:34I need some support here and he gets it the cross in towards Benzema and Benzema again
07:40but the flag is raised
07:45third disallowed goal. It must be tight it would be unlike Karim Benzema to
07:50run into an offside position. He's a mile off in the end he should try and work harder to get onside
08:00It's a very well drilled offside trap
08:04you can see there even though the cross was about to come in they all pushed out
08:11that's the boring stuff you do on the training ground
08:14I've seen some teams do it with a rope and they all have to basically come out but that's it
08:21the Saudi classica once again is owned by Al-Hilal
08:29six wins out of six last season and a comprehensive victory here tonight
08:35all the damage done in the first half two early goals from Alexander Mitrovic
08:41two early goals from Alexander Mitrovic the second of those a penalty a brilliant counter-attacking goal