Ittihad Jeddah star and former Real Madrid icon Karim Benzema declared Al Ittihad ready for their highly anticipated showdown with Al Nassr in the semi-final of the Saudi Super Cup, set to take place tomorrow at Hong Kong National Stadium.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Benzema stressed that the clash should not be reduced to a personal duel with Cristiano Ronaldo, despite their long history together at Real Madrid.
“This is a match between Al Ittihad and Al Nassr, not between me and Cristiano. We were teammates before, and of course, he’s a great player, but the focus now is on the team as a whole,” Benzema said.
The French star also sent a message to Ittihad fans, urging them to rally behind the team:
“We need your strong support. On the pitch, we’ll show you what we’re capable of achieving.”
Benzema sidestepped a question about whether Al Ittihad’s squad had been built around him, insisting that the priority was the upcoming semi-final:
“We have an important game tomorrow. That’s the only thing that matters right now.”
After helping the Jeddah giants secure the Saudi Pro League and King’s Cup titles last season, Benzema is now targeting further silverware.
However, he admitted that facing Al Nassr, led by Ronaldo, will be one of the toughest challenges of the tournament.
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