Replacement Dilemma: Can Conceicao Fill Benzema’s Void in AFC Clash?

The Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao will take charge of Al-Ittihad for the first time in a high-stakes test as his side visits Al-Shorta of Iraq on Monday, the third matchday of the AFC Champions League Elite group stage.

Al-Ittihad is chasing its first win or at least a point after two straight defeats to Al-Wehda and Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai.

This will be the third group game for the club, and the first in Asia under the new coach, with the team having played the previous two under different bosses: against Al-Wehda under former coach Laurent Blanc, who was dismissed following a league Clasico defeat to Al-Nasr, and the loss to Shabab Al-Ahli led by interim Hassan Khalifa.

Conceicao faces a strong test as he also hunts his first continental win, after a 1-1 draw with Al-Fayha in the Saudi league.

Replacement for Benzema

Yet Conceicao’s bigger challenge will not be just the positive result but how to replace the French striker and captain Karim Benzema.

Benzema misses the match with a right leg bruise, while Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn is out with an illness and defender Moaz Faqih is sidelined by an ankle sprain.

With such attacking absences, Conceicao’s task is daunting, especially since Blanc previously struggled to find suitable substitutes, and Benzema’s influence is said by many analysts to account for more than 60% of Al-Ittihad's attacking power.

Benzema's role goes beyond scoring, as he leads on the pitch, guiding his teammates with his experience and delivering top performances throughout minutes on the pitch.

Also, he plays a vital part as a key attacking node, controlling the ball and creating space either by shots or by passes to teammates.

According to the Saudi newspaper, Saad Al-Shehri will be the substitute for Benzema in this encounter.

Al-Shehri has had chances since the start of the season after Benzema's injury in Round 2, but he has not matched last season's level.

Last season, when Al-Ittihad depended on him for crucial matches like the Jeddah derby in Benzema's absence, he delivered the winning goal against Al-Ahli.

The best ratings this season, around 7 according to SofaScore; he had a 6.8 in the Cup win over Al-Wehda, and scored the only goal while starting the match.

But aside from that, some matches saw him fail to shoot at goal, underscoring that the union’s problem is more severe when Benzema is out.

Conceicao’s Touch

If Conceicao has managed to restore confidence in players like the young playmaker Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, after a period of decline under Blanc, he now faces a similar task with Al-Shehri to bring him to his best and prove himself as a true rival to Benzema rather than just a substitute when the main striker is absent.

Attack depth remains scarce, even with new signings like Portuguese Roger Fernandes, a young winger who lacks the experience to bear heavy pressure, but the squad’s offensive depth remains the core issue as the team struggles to link passes to dangerous zones.

If Conceicao can find a cure for the “Benzema substitute” headache early, he will reap early rewards in a long, demanding season ahead.

October will be a stern test for Al-Ittihad: besides the Al-Shorta game, they host Al-Hilal on Oct 24 in a classic, then face Al-Nasr on Oct 28 in the King’s Cup.

Punchlines coming up: 1) If substitutes were coffee, Benzema’s absence would be decaf—still caffeine, just a little weaker. 2) Conceicao’s motto for the bench: “Find a striker who can score and a coach who can smile about it—preferably both in one player.”