Benzema's team collapsed.

In the early hours of April 14th (Hanoi time), Karim Benzema's missed penalty sent Al Hilal exiting the AFC Champions League Elite in a bitter defeat against Al Sadd.

Benzema missed the penalty.

The Saudi Arabian representatives entered the round of 16 with high expectations, but exposed their fragility in crucial moments. At the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Al Hilal took the lead three times, but each time they quickly allowed their opponents to equalize, a cycle of mistakes and lack of concentration.

In the 29th minute, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring after a well-placed assist from Theo Hernandez. However, just minutes later, Claudinho punished the lax defense to equalize. A similar scenario unfolded in the second half. Salem Al-Dawsari put the home side ahead in the 55th minute, but Rafael Mujica immediately responded. Then, in the 67th minute, Karim Benzema made his mark with an assist for Marcos Leonardo to make it 3-2, rekindling hopes of victory.

However, the resilience of the Qatari champions came to the fore at the right moment. Roberto Firmino headed in accurately after a quick throw-in, leveling the score at 3-3 and sending the two teams into extra time. Although Al Hilal created clear chances, they were unable to seal the victory within 120 minutes.

The real tragedy came in the penalty shootout. After Firmino missed the first penalty, the opportunity opened up for the Saudi Arabian side. But the pressure weighed heavily on Benzema's shoulders. The French striker's missed penalty, along with Bouabre's missed shot, caused Al Hilal to collapse. Conversely, Akram Afif calmly sealed the 4-2 victory from the penalty spot, sending Al Sadd into the quarter-finals.

For Al Hilal, this is not just a continental defeat, but also a wake-up call regarding their character and consistency during this crucial stage of the season. In the Saudi Pro League, they are also trailing Al Nassr by 5 points in the title race.

Source: https://znews.vn/doi-cua-benzema-sup-do-post1643164.html