Benzema misses penalty as Al Hilal crash out of AFC Champions League: how does it have an effect on Ronaldo’s Al Nassr?

Karim Benzema discovered himself on the middle of a painful second on Monday after lacking a decisive penalty in Al Hilal‘s elimination from the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite quarterfinals. With their continental ambitions now extinguished, the fallout from that exit might have important implications for Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Al Nassr.

At Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Al Hilal confronted Qatari facet Al Sadd in a rescheduled Spherical of 16 tie, a part of a sequence of AFC fixtures within the western area pushed again from March. The sport received off to a promising begin for Al Hilal when Sergej Milinković-Savić opened the scoring within the twenty ninth minute, however Al Sadd proved relentless find equalizers, with the 2 sides by no means separated by a couple of purpose in a pulsating 3-3 draw.

The compressed schedule that adopted the rescheduling pressured the AFC to change the remaining knockout ties from two-legged affairs to single-match eliminations. With the rating nonetheless stage after 90 minutes, the sport went to additional time after which to a penalty shootout to determine who superior to the quarterfinals.

Roberto Firmino missed Al Sadd’s opening spot kick, leaving Al Hilal within the driving seat at 2-1, however Benzema then stepped up and despatched his effort over the crossbar making an attempt to go high left. Al Sadd transformed each remaining penalty, and with Saimon Bouabre additionally lacking for Al Hilal, the Saudi facet had been eradicated 4-2 within the shootout.

Al Hilal refocus on the SPL after continental exit

The defeat to Al Sadd ended an in any other case unbeaten run for Al Hilal throughout each the AFC league part and the Saudi Professional League within the 2025-26 season. With no worldwide competitors left to play for, Benzema’s facet will now channel all of their power into the home title race, a improvement that Al Nassr might be maintaining an in depth eye on.

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Al Sadd will face Japanese facet Vissel Kobe on Thursday, April 16 at King Abdullah Sports activities Metropolis in Jeddah, with the semifinals scheduled for April 20 and 21 and the AFC Champions League Elite last set for April 25. Free of these continental calls for, Al Hilal will now haven’t any fixture congestion to handle heading into the important last weeks of the SPL season.

Al Hilal’s subsequent league match will not be till April 28 in opposition to Damac FC, giving them a two-week window to relaxation, recuperate and sharpen up earlier than resuming their title push. After an extra fixture in opposition to Al Hazem on Might 2, Benzema and Ronaldo will then sq. off on Might 7 in what guarantees to be a defining Al Nassr vs. Al Hilal showdown that would go a good distance towards deciding who lifts the Saudi Professional League trophy.

On the opposite facet of the equation, Al Nassr nonetheless have AFC Champions League Two commitments to take care of, with a quarterfinal in opposition to Al Wasl on the horizon and doubtlessly extra rounds past that. Ronaldo has been largely absent from the membership’s continental video games, however the added fixture load might go away Al Nassr’s squad with extra fatigue of their legs when that pivotal Might 7 conflict arrives.

That context provides Al Hilal a possible edge heading into the six-point encounter, having had considerably extra relaxation within the buildup. Al Nassr presently maintain a commanding lead with 73 factors to Al Hilal’s 68, and a victory in that assembly might all however seal the title, organising a Saudi Professional League finale the place the championship might come right down to the final sport of the season.