Brilliant Benzema eliminates Al Hilal
A rollercoaster quarter-final in Riyadh saw reigning King’s Cup champion Al Hilal and Saudi Pro League leader Al Ittihad share four goals in a thrilling Saudi Clasico contest, before the latter emerged as a semi-finalist after a penalty shootout. Karim Benzema - enjoying a renaissance in the 2024-25 season - was Ittihad’s star turn, scoring a brace in normal time and converting in the shootout to send his side through to the last four.

Benzema, a Coupe de France winner with Lyon and three-time Copa del Rey champion with Real Madrid, is now looking to add the King’s Cup to his already-bulging trophy collection. The Frenchman netted 10 goals in 10 Saudi Pro League games before the winter break and he picked up where he left off in Riyadh, putting Ittihad 1-0 up in the second-half. The lead lasted just nine minutes, however, as Hilal captain Salem Al-Dawsari grabbed an equalizer.

The tension cranked up as the tie went to extra time and it was Al Hilal who edged in front on 101 minutes. Talented Brazilian youngster Marcos Leonardo has been used primarily in knockout competitions by coach Jorge Jesus this season and his extra-time strike was a sixth across a combined eight King’s Cup and AFC Champions League Elite matches. Hilal couldn’t quite hold on though, with Benzema bagging his second of the match to send the quarter-final into extra-time and then a shootout.

After Al Hilal midfielder Mohamed Kanno missed the opening penalty, it was Benzema - who else - that stepped up to successfully score the first spot-kick for Laurent Blanc’s side. The Ittihad captain wasn’t his team’s only hero, however. After denying Kanno, goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic also thwarted Marcos Leonardo and Malcolm from 12 yards - with his trio of saves ensuring Ittihad made it through without even taking its third penalty.

Qadsiah quality too much for Taawoun
A winner of the now-defunct Crown Prince’s Cup in 1992 and runner-up of the same competition in 2005, Al Qadisah has never claimed the King’s Cup in its history but now finds itself as second-favorite to lift this season’s trophy after reaching the semi-finals with a 3-0 rout of Al Taawoun. The match was a repeat of the 2020-21 quarter-final, which Al Taawoun edged 2-1; this time, less than 24 hours after neighbor Al Raed had progressed at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, Al Taawoun fell short at the same ground as Qadsiah’s quality shone through.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Qadsiah’s marquee summer signing on its return to the Saudi Pro League, got Michel’s visiting team off the mark - turning home Julián Quiñones smart outside-of-the-boot cross from the left. Just two minutes later, Quiñones was the provider again for Qadsiah’s second - his intelligent through-ball finding midfielder Cameron Puertas, who sprinted clear of the Taawoun defense before rifling a superb right-foot shot past goalkeeper Maylson.

Mexican striker Quiñones has lit up the King’s Cup this season - scoring four goals in the first two rounds to help Qadsiah progress. He added his team’s third of the game and his fifth of this season’s competition to keep him top of the King’s Cup scoring charts for 2024-25 and confirm his side’s passage to the semi-finals for the first time since 1989. Quiñones put the punctuation mark on proceedings, curling a right-foot effort into the bottom corner after a rapid, ruthless Qadsiah counter-attack shortly after half-time.

Al Raed survives to reach first semi
A historic first King’s Cup semi-final in Al Raed’s 71-year history awaits after Odair Hellmann’s side narrowly avoided an upset at the hands of Saudi First Division outfit Al Jabalain. Brazilian coach Hellmann warned his players before the game that full focus would be necessary to progress and his players just about managed to heed his advice, progressing after a penalty shootout at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah.

Al Jabalain, who eliminated Saudi Pro League clubs in each of the first two rounds, showed again that it was capable of competing with higher-level opponents - keeping Al Raed at bay for 61 minutes. The host finally broke down Jabalain’s stubborn defense when a volley from winger Saleh Al-Amri - recently tipped by his coach for a recall to the Saudi national team - found the net after a helpful deflection off Jabalain midfielder Mohammed Bakr.

Jabalain stayed in the game and was rewarded with an equalizer in the game’s final minute as Nawaf Al-Mutairi stole in at the back post to turn in Colombian substitute Juanjo Narváez’s cross. It finished 1-1 after normal and extra-time, leading to a dramatic shootout in which Al Raed goalkeeper injured his shoulder diving to reach Jabalain’s third penalty. It meant substitute shot-stopper Mishari Sunyur was thrown into the lion’s den and the 23-year-old produced an incredible save to deny Kaka Mendes; it enabled Oumar Gonzalez to nervelessly roll in the final spot-kick and send Al Raed through into its maiden King’s Cup semi-final.

Shabab continues to shines
One of Al Shabab’s finest seasons in recent years continued as first-half goals from Daniel Podence and Abderrazak Hamdallah sent the team from Riyadh into the semi-finals at the expense of Al Fayha. Shabab lost coach Vitor Pereira to Premier League side Wolves during the winter break but its players started their new era under veteran Turkish boss Fatih Terim in style with a 2-1 win that gives the club further hope of ending its 11-year wait for a major trophy.

That previous triumph back in 2014 was its third King’s Cup crown but barring a runner-up spot in the Saudi Pro League in 2020-21, Shabab fans have had to wait patiently for another shot at silverware. At the Al-Shabab Club Stadium on Monday it took Portugal winger Podence just two minutes to break the deadlock as his volley into the ground looped fortuitously over the head of Fayha goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera.

Less than 25 minutes later the lead was doubled by Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah, who is second on the list of all-time top scorers in the King’s Cup. Hamdallah is a two-time Saudi Pro League winner and three-time Saudi Super Cup Winner - with Al Nassr and Al Ittihad - but is still chasing his first ever King’s Cup triumph. Against Fayha, Hamdallah demonstrated why he is one of the Kingdom’s most feared strikers as he escaped his marker to fire home at the back post from Musab Aljuwayr’s teasing left-wing cross.

It stayed 2-0 until the 88th minute, when Al Fayha’s Mukhair Al-Rashidi netted what proved to be only a consolation goal for the visitors. With the final whistle, Shabab celebrated its first win under new coach Terim and a spot in its first King’s Cup semi-final since 2022.

Now that Al hilal is out, Al Nassr should be able to win it 1 Like 1 Share

Benzema 🔥🔥🔥 1 Like 1 Share

I wish they can win it 1 Like 1 Share

Let's go!! CR7! To win it 1 Like 1 Share

I respect Benzrma but I'll like CR7 to win it so Messi fans can keep quiet 1 Like 1 Share

Benzema's Al ithhiad should win it. Penaldo shouldn't. 1 Like 1 Share

Al hilal is out?!! 😂😂

😂😂😂