(Reuters) - Al-Ittihad, captained by Karim Benzema, clinched the Saudi Pro League title with two matches to spare as they came from a goal down to beat Al-Raed 3-1 on Thursday.
The win moved Al-Ittihad to 77 points from 32 matches, nine points ahead of second-placed Al-Hilal.
A victory was all Al-Ittihad, coached by Laurent Blanc, needed to earn their 10th league title, and the first since 2023, but the already-relegated Al-Raed drew first blood as Omar Gonzalez gave the bottom team the lead from close range after nine minutes.
Al-Ittihad, however, fought back with Steven Bergwijn equalising 12 minutes later. A Danilo Pereira header gave them the lead shortly before halftime.
Two minutes into the second half, Abdulrahman Al-Oboud put the game out of Al-Raed’s reach.
The Jeddah-based club still have a chance to win another trophy this season as they take on Al-Qadsiah in the King’s Cup final on May 30.
(Editing by Christian Radnedge)
