Al Ittihad Set To Face Al Hilal in the 2024 Saudi Super Cup Final at the Mohamed Bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi, UAE
After triumphing over Al Wehda in the semi-finals, Al Ittihad will have a chance at silverware when they face Al Hilal in the 2024 Saudi Super Cup Final. The match is set for Thursday night at the Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
In the first semi-final, Al Ittihad won 2-1 against Al Wehda to book their place in the finals. Their goals came from Karim Benzema, who scored in the first minute, and Abdelrrazak Hamdallah, who scored in the 42nd minute. Al Wehda got their consolation goal through Hussein Ahmed Al Eisa in the 97th minute when it was too late to change things.
The second semi-final was quite dramatic. Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off in the 86th minute. The Super Cup was Al Nassr’s last realistic chance for silverware this season, with Al Hilal having run with the league title at this point. The desperation spilled over, and Cristiano Ronaldo lashed out with an elbow at Ali Al Bulaihi.
Al Hilal won the match 2-1, with Salem Al Dawsari (61st minute) and Malcom (72nd minute) scoring goals. Sadio Mane scored Al Nassr’s only goal in the ninth minute of injury time.
Despite winning the Saudi Pro League last season, Al Ittihad have had an underwhelming season by their standards. With the much-lauded signing of Karim Benzema when he was the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, much was expected. However, that has not been the reality, and coach Marcelo Gallardo will no doubt feel the pressure to fight for the Super Cup to improve his job security prospects beyond this summer. Al Hilal, on their part, will be looking to preserve their winning streak, and it will be a high-stakes final without a doubt.
