Brilliant Benz, star recruits, 12th man, champion resolve: How Al Ittihad won title | OneFootball

For the second time in three seasons, Al Ittihad are Roshn Saudi League champions.

Their 3-1 win at Al Raed on Thursday means that, with two rounds still to play, the Jeddah giants can no longer be caught, capping off a campaign in which, for the most part, they have dominated.

It’s a story of redemption for a club who last season suffered through their worst title defence this century, the then-champions finishing fifth – and outside the places for continental competition.

In fact, Al Ittihad were a whopping 42 points behind champions Al Hilal; the biggest gap they’ve ever had to their fierce rivals.

We break down how they turned around the huge deficit to be crowned champions this term.

--------

Recruitment

The foundations for this season’s success began last year, with the arrival of key technical personnel and the beginning of a transition to players of a younger age profile.

It was a philosophy that followed through into last summer’s recruitment, where the real magic was done. There, Al Ittihad attracted the pieces needed to complete the puzzle.

Moussa Diaby was undoubtedly the signing of the window given his output this season: the winger has a league-leading 14 assists, with three goals for good measure, and that’s despite missing a quarter of the campaign with injury.

There were also the signings of Steven Bergwijn and Houssem Aouar, who have both been absolutely vital to Al Ittihad’s return the summit of Saudi football. Between that trio alone, they have contributed 22 goals and 10 assists.

--------

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad were far from a one-man team this season, but the impact of the return to form of Karim Benzema cannot be overstated.

The former Ballon d’Or winner was one of the marquee additions to the RSL ahead of the 2023-24 season, but he never quite hit the heights expected for a player of his calibre.

Especially when you compare his output to that of Cristiano Ronaldo, his former Real Madrid teammate. The pair scored nine and 31 goals, respectively, as Ronaldo set a new single-season record.

But Benzema returned from the off-season a new man. He looked more committed, more energised and more determined to lead the team than he did 12 months prior – he even helped shaped the squad.

And it showed on the pitch, with his 30 goal contributions - 21 goals and nine assists - the most of any player in the league.

--------

Never Say Die

In a title race that at times had nothing between the clubs at the sharp end of the table, every goal and every point has mattered. And, on no fewer than 12 occasions, Al Ittihad have scored goals beyond the 85th minute to either win or draw games.

That ranks them first in the league for points won from a losing position (21), which needless to say has played a significant role in their title triumph this season.

Houssem Aouar has scored five of those winning goals and is another example of the fine work the technical staff did in recruitment.

The Algerian arrived from AS Roma in the summer with a hunger to succeed, and within the first two weeks had scored winning goals in the 94th and 98th minutes. They set the tone for the campaign ahead.

--------

The 12th Man

Players and clubs all talk about the importance of the 12th man, and that is certainly the case at Al Ittihad, who boast the highest average attendance of any side in the league.

Just as they did in their title-winning season of 2022-23, the “Curva Gold” have once again played their part, both with their vociferous support that turns Alinma Stadium into a cauldron, or their incredible tifos that go viral around the world for their scale and impact.

Al Ittihad fans before Al Taawoun in MW 2

For rival clubs, Alinma Stadium is a hostile place to play, and the advantage that gives to the hosts cannot be quantified.

--------

Big results in big games

When it has come to games against fellow “big four” teams, Al Ittihad have stamped their championship credentials.

From six matches, they lost only once, that coming in a 3-1 defeat to Al Hilal in Matchweek 4 in September. Since then, Laurent Blanc’s side have been nearly flawless, with the only other dropped points last month’s 2-2 draw in the Sea Derby against Al Ahli in Matchweek 26.

However, it was the massive 4-1 victory against Al Hilal in the top-two clash in Jeddah in  Matchweek 21 that was the real statement result, and the turning point of their title charge.

Meanwhile, this month's come-from-behind 3-2 win at Al Nassr – another injury-time clincher – was the icing on the cake.

--------

The locals deliver

While much is made of the foreign recruitment and the impact of those imported stars, you cannot have success without the contributions of local players – and that has for sure been the case for Al Ittihad this season.

Saad Al Mousa, still only 22, has been an ever-present in the heart of defence, Hasan Kadesh has been ever-so-reliable at full-back, and Abdulrahman Al Obud has had the best season of his career, with six goals and six assists.

Elsewhere in the squad, Saleh Al Shehri stood up when required in the absence of Karim Benzema, with four goals of his own, including the winner in the campaign’s first Sea Derby, in November.

And that’s without mentioning the contributions of Abdulelah Al Amri, Muhannad Shanqeeti and Hamed Al Ghamdi. It’s been a real team effort from the entire squad, and the Saudi players, many of them still developing, have suggested the future is bright at the newly minted RSL champions.

--------