Roshn League Round 21 Recap: Al-Ittihad Dominates the Clasico, Benzema Joins Ronaldo
Round 21 of the Roshn Saudi League concluded with thrilling matches and notable results.
This round was marked by a decline in goal-scoring, with Al-Ittihad solidifying their position at the top of the table, extending their lead over second-placed Al-Hilal after a commanding Clasico victory. Meanwhile, Al-Nassr suffered a surprising setback against Al-Ettifaq, and Al-Ahli bounced back with a crucial win over Damac.
Key Results:
Al-Fateh 1-0 Al-Orobah
Al-Fayha 0-0 Al-Khaleej
Al-Riyadh 1-3 Al-Raed
Al-Ahli 2-0 Damac
Al-Qadisiyah 2-0 Al-Okhdood
Al-Ettifaq 3-2 Al-Nassr
Al-Kholood 1-0 Al-Wehda
Al-Taawoun 2-2 Al-Shabab
Al-Ittihad 4-1 Al-Hilal
Decline in Goal-Scoring
Only 24 goals were scored in this round, averaging 2.6 goals per match, compared to 25 goals in the previous round and 33 in Round 19. Twelve teams found the net, while six failed to score.
Disciplinary Issues
Yellow cards increased to 45 compared to 38 in the previous round, with an average of five per match. Three players received red cards: Matias Normann (Al-Raed), Jhon Durán (Al-Nassr), and Andrei Girotto (Al-Taawoun).
Top Four Standings
Al-Ittihad extended their lead at the top with 55 points, followed by Al-Hilal (48 points). Al-Qadisiyah secured third place (47 points), while Al-Nassr dropped to fourth (44 points). Al-Ahli moved closer to the top four with 41 points.
Top Scorers
Cristiano Ronaldo remains the top scorer with 16 goals, now joined by Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad). Julian Quiñones (Al-Qadisiyah) and Marcos Leonardo (Al-Hilal) share third place with 14 goals, while Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Shabab) is fifth with 13 goals.
Assist Leaders
Moussa Diaby (Al-Ittihad) leads in assists with 13, followed by Salem Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal) with 8. Benzema also tops the goal contribution chart with 23, four ahead of Ronaldo.
Clean Sheets
Koen Casteels (Al-Qadisiyah) remains the top goalkeeper with 12 clean sheets, followed by Édouard Mendy (Al-Ahli) with 8.
Special Stats
Diaby matched Igor Coronado's record of 13 assists in a single season for Al-Ittihad.
Steven Bergwijn became the first Dutch player to score in the Al-Ittihad vs. Al-Hilal Clasico.
Al-Ittihad scored from a corner in the Clasico for the first time since April 2021.
Marcos Leonardo is the second-youngest player to score for Al-Hilal in the Clasico at 21 years and 296 days.
Al-Ittihad has won all 11 home matches this season.
Saad Al-Shehri (Al-Ettifaq) defeated Al-Nassr for the second time, his first win dating back to December 2017.
Galeno (Al-Ahli) contributed a goal and an assist against Damac