Saudi giants unleash a 5-0 blitz in Dubai: Ittihad keeps the goal party rolling
14 December 2025
Al-Ittihad wrapped up their Dubai training camp with another commanding win, this time against Gulf United, a UAE First Division club.
The Saudi champions cruised to a 5-0 victory on Sunday in a morning friendly staged behind closed doors in Dubai's training complex.
Portuguese coach Sergio Conceição opted to field a core XI and then introduced several substitutes after the break.
Lineups and key moments
Goalkeeper: Predrag Rajković
Defense: Mehnd Al-Shenqiti - Danilo Pereira - Fabinho - Hamid Al-Ghamdi
Midfield: N'Golo Kanté - Hamid Al-Ghamdi - Ahmad Al-Ghamdi
Attack: Moussa Diaby - Karim Benzema - Steven Bergwijn
All five goals came in the first half, with Benzema netting twice and Diaby, Al-Shenqiti and Ahmad Al-Ghamdi adding one apiece.
This marked the second win of the Dubai camp after a 6-0 victory over Pal City in the previous match.
In two Dubai games, Ittihad has scored 11 goals and conceded none, a striking tally that signals real attacking intent and a growing sense of cohesion.
They head back to Jeddah on Sunday ahead of the December 23 clash with Nasaf in the AFC Champions League Elite Stage.
Local media had hinted at another friendly in Jeddah, but the schedule remained fluid after the Saudi league's 10th round was postponed due to the Arab Cup 2025 progress.
Coach Conceição called the day productive and joked about the offensive fireworks, noting that preseason is the time to test ideas and collect confetti, not excuses.
Punchline 1: Benzema with a double—precision so sharp you’d think he brought a ruler to the scoreboard.
Punchline 2: The defense went for a coffee break; the attackers kept scoring while they were away.
