Al-Ittihad players celebrate after reaching the semifinals of the King’s Cup.

RIYADH, Jan 8: French star Karim Benzema delivered a standout performance, scoring twice and converting a penalty to lead Al-Ittihad Jeddah to a dramatic victory over Al-Hilal at King’s Arena Stadium. The marathon clash, which ended in a penalty shootout, secured Al-Ittihad's place in the semi-finals of the King’s Cup.

The first half remained goalless, with a key moment in the 44th minute when Benzema’s goal was disallowed for offside after referee intervention.

In the second half, Al-Ittihad broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute when Benzema netted a goal from Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti's cross. Al-Hilal responded swiftly, equalizing in the 72nd minute with a goal by captain Salem Al-Dawsari, who capitalized on a deflected ball from Brazilian midfielder Fabinho of Al-Ittihad.

The match went into extra time, where Al-Hilal gained the lead in the 101st minute through Marcos Leonardo, assisted by Mutab Al-Harbi. However, Al-Ittihad refused to back down, and Benzema struck again in the 114th minute, this time set up by Abdulaziz Al-Bishi.

The French star’s equalizer marked his fifth career goal against Al-Hilal, including one scored during the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup with Real Madrid.

Drama ensued in the 116th minute when Al-Bishi appeared to score Al-Ittihad's third goal, but it was overturned by VAR for offside, sending the game into a penalty shootout.

In the shootout, Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic became the hero for Al-Ittihad, saving three penalty kicks to secure a 3-1 victory.

With this triumph, Al-Ittihad claimed the final spot in the semi-finals, joining Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Shabab, and Al-Raed in the "golden square." Meanwhile, Al-Hilal, the reigning champion for the past two seasons, bowed out of the competition.