Match Recap
The French forward Karim Benzema, captain of Al-Ittihad, continued his dazzling form as the Ittihad outfit edged Nasaf Qarshi 1-0 on Tuesday in the sixth round of the AFC Champions League Elite.
Benzema converted the only goal of the match in the 57th minute of the second half, lifting his total to four goals in the competition.
He became the third foreign scorer in Al-Ittihad's history in the Asian tournament, level with Moroccan Hamdallah, Venezuelan Gilmen Rivás, and Brazilian Demba.
He is three goals away from becoming the top foreign scorer in the tournament, currently level with Romarinho and Abdel Malik Zabania (7).
The 38-year-old striker has reached 12 goals this season across 13 matches in domestic and continental competitions.
Al-Ittihad moved to 9 points and sat sixth in the West Asia Elite group, restoring balance after a 2-4 loss to Al-Duhail in the previous round.
Punchlines: If goals were snacks, Benzema would be stacking the snack bar high. And if you’re keeping score, the only thing slower than a defender stopping him is the clock catching up to the 57th minute goal time.
