Al Nassr have been knocked out of the Round of 16 of the King Cup, meeting their end at the hands of their Jeddah-based rival Al Ittihad.
Al Nassr have been knocked out of the Saudi Kings Cup after losing 2-1 to a Karim Benzema-inspired Al-Ittihad side.
Benzema gave Al Numoor the lead in the 45th minute, but Angelo pulled one back for Jorge Jesus’ side on the half-hour mark. Houssem Aouar restored Al Itihad’s lead late in the first-half, and that goal proved the match winner.
Major trophy drought continues
With the defeat to Al Ittihad in the King’s Cup Round of 16, the Faris Najd will have to wait until next season in their bid to land their sixth title in the competition.
Al Ittihad, on the other hand, advanced to the quarter-finals and, as the defending champions, are primed to match Al Hilal’s feat (2023 and 2024) and also win in consecutive years.
Ronaldo’s chances of ending his search for a first major trophy in Saudi Arabia have been dampened by Al Ittihad’s triumph, which effectively ended an avenue for silverware.
However, Al Nassr are the current leaders of the Saudi Pro League and are primed to land their first league title since the 2018/19 season. They have shown intent and were unbeaten, winning each of their last nine matches before today’s defeat.
