Duhail Dents Ittihad: A Four-Goal Champions League Triumph in Doha

Match recap

Al Duhail defeated Al Ittihad 4-2 at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, during the fifth round of the AFC Champions League Elite West 2025-2026.

Algerian forward Adel Boulebina slammed a hat-trick in the 5th, 33rd and 53rd minutes, with Krzysztof Piątek adding a fourth in the 74th. Karim Benzema struck twice for Al Ittihad in the 76th and 83rd, but could not prevent the defeat.

From the broader West standings, Al Hilal leads the section with 12 points, followed by Tractor on 11, and Ahli, Al Wahda and Shabab Al Ahli on 10 each. Al Duhail sit on 7, Al Ittihad on 6, Sharjah on 4, Al Gharafa on 3, Al Sadd on 2, and Al Shorta on 1; Nasaf remain without points.

Game flow

The match opened with a bold start from the hosts, Boulebina breaking the deadlock from outside the box in the 5th minute. The lead soon grew as Boulebina struck again in the 33rd, and completed his hat-trick in the 53rd to make it 3-0.

Al Ittihad tried to respond through persistent pressure and Benzema’s brace in the 76th and 83rd minutes, but the momentum remained with Duhail, who added a fourth through Piątek in the 74th.

While Benzema briefly reduced the deficit, Boulebina’s treble proved decisive as Al Duhail controlled large portions of the game. The result intensifies the Western zone title race with another round to come in December.

Upcoming rounds are scheduled for December 22-23 across West venues, featuring clashes such as Sharjah vs. Hilal, Tractor vs. Duhail, and Nasaf facing Al Ittihad in different cities; the exact venues vary across the region.

Punchlines: If Boulebina keeps scoring at this rate, the scoreboard operator will need a bigger desk—and a bigger coffee budget. And if Ittihad thought it was a friendly, tell them the party started 5 minutes in and Boulebina brought the hat-trick decorations.