RIYADH, Sept 26: Al-Hilal and Al-Nasr secured their places in the quarter-finals of the King’s Cup. Al-Hilal triumphed over Al-Jabaleen with a score of 1-0, while Al-Nasr clinched a convincing 5-1 victory. In a surprising turn of events, Al-Najma, a second-division team, advanced to the round of sixteen with a remarkable 2-1 win over Al- Raed, a professional league team. Similarly, Damac emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline against Al-Qaisumah. In the first match, the only goal came in the second half when Ruben Neves found the net for Al-Hilal.

The team had squandered numerous opportunities before Neves capitalized on a defensive rebound following a corner kick, delivering a powerful shot into the net in the 64th minute. Al Hilal’s second goal by Saleh Al Shehri was disallowed after video assistant referee (VAR) intervention due to a handball by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. Facing off against Al-Jabalin, Al-Nasr showcased a dominant performance in the second half, netting four goals, even in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo. Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad Club, reigning champions of the Saudi Professional Football League, confirmed the absence of French striker Karim Benzema for the next seven days due to an injury.

The club announced that Benzema sustained a right thigh muscle injury, necessitating a seven-day treatment and rehabilitation program. As a result of this injury, the French striker will be unavailable for the upcoming league match against Al-Fayhaa the day after tomorrow, as well as the AFC Champions League clash with Iran’s Sepahan next Monday.