FULL TIME
Goals and Highlights: Al-Ittihad 3-0 Auckland City in FIFA Club World Cup
Thanks!
Thank you for watching this World Cup match! See you on Friday with the start of the quarter-finals!
END OF MATCH
In a first-half show Al-ittihad beat Auckland City and are through to the next round of the Club World Cup!
47'
Benzema struck from the edge of the box, but into the middle of the goal, into Tracey's hands.
38'
Double substitution for Auckland City: Murati and Gray out for Mitchell and Kilkolly in. At Al-Ittihad, Hawsawi and Al-Ghamdi came off for Al-Sahafi and Bamsaud.
33'
Substitutions for Al-Ittihad: Kanté and Coronado out for Al-Amiri and Al-Farhan.
26'
Al Hawsawi received the pass on the left and crossed with a deflection, but Tracey parried it away!
24'
Coronado got his shot away, but Tracey saved it!
22'
Substitution for Auckland City: Manickum and Ilich out for Tong and Tade.
13'
Substitution at Al-Ittihad: Romarinho out, Jota in.
11'
Substitution for Auckland: Gibert out, Lee in.
9'
Coronado received a pass in the box and hit it hard, but the goalkeeper saved and the ball fell to Romarinho, who tried to play it in, but to no avail. Possession for Al-Ittihad.
2'
Benzema took off on the right, broke into the box, dribbled past the defenders and hit a powerful shot, but Tracey parried it away!
SECOND HALF STARTS
Gillion gets his first touch on the ball and it's off to the second half!
Teams returning
The players return to the pitch for the start of the second half!
END OF FIRST HALF
Al-Ittihad went on to beat Auckland City at home and book their place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup!
40' GOAL FOR AL-ITTIHAD
AND THE MAN SCORED! From a pass on the right, Kanté laid it off to Al Shanqeeti, who delivered a low cross for Benzema to tap in and send the ball into the back of the net!
34' GOAL FOR AL-ITTIHAD
From another cross into the box, Tracey got up and punched the ball away, leaving it for Kanté to punch the ball high into the left-hand corner to make it 2-1!
31'
Romarinho, on the edge of the box, hit a fierce shot into the left corner, but Tracey picked it up and put it out for a corner, which was taken on the edge of the box for Romarinho to hit, but over the top of the defender.
29' GOAL FOR AL-ITTIHAD
Al Hawsawi received a pass on the left and delivered a low cross to the edge of the box, where Romarinho hit the ball into the right corner with a deflection to open the scoring!
22'
Benzema played a pass on the right to Al Shanqeeti, who hit a cross and sent it just wide of the goal!
20'
Benzema got the ball on the edge of the box after a mistake by the defense, took out the defender and hit the ball into the right corner, but into Tracey's hands.
14'
Al Hawsawi crossed, the ball passed and was left for Benzema, who shot over the goal.
13'
Kanté received the pass on the right, crossed low and the defense deflected, with the ball left for Coronado, alone on the penalty spot, to shoot, but he sent the ball too far from the goal!
1'
Romarinho hit the ball hard from outside the area and sent it over the goal, with danger!
HERE WE GO
Benzema gets the first touch on the ball and it's off to the start of the first half!
Teams on the pitch!
After a World Cup opening show, the players from Al-Ittihad and Auckland City take to the field to kick off the match!
Auckland City lined-up!
Al-Ittihad lined-up!
Let’s make 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 🔥
pic.twitter.com/npefvi4mXq — Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) December 12, 2023
Welcome!
And now we open the broadcast of the first match of the 2023 Club World Cup! The ball rolls later today for Al-Ittihad and Auckland City!
Tune in here Al-Ittihad vs Auckland CityUpdates
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Referee
Tori Penso will be the referee for the match, with Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt as assistants. The fourth official will be Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo.
Probable Auckland City
Auckland City's probable team for the match is: Tracey, Vale, Mitchell, Lee and Lobo; Garriga, D Heijer, Howieson, Ilich and Manickum; Kilkolly.
Probable Al Ittihad
Al-Ittihad's probable team for the match is: Marcelo Grohe, Alshanqiti, Hawsawo, Hegazy and Bamsaud; Kanté, Fabinho, Alamri, Coronado and Jota; Benzema.
Absentees
For the match, Al-Ittihad, with their famous new coach Marcelo Gallardo, will be without the injured Luiz Felipe, while Romarinho and Benzema will return from injury. On the other side, Auckland City will have no absentees for this match and could use full strength.
Gallardo!
Marcello Gallardo also spoke about the challenge of the World Cup and praised Benzema in his pre-match press conference: "We're fully committed to excelling in the FIFA Club World Cup and delighting our large fan base. Our team is in great shape, ready to win. We respect Auckland City as a worthy opponent. The presence of Benzems is a game changer. A world-class player whose skills will benefit us greatly on the pitch. We have an extraordinary team and we're excited to discover more talent and achieve the extraordinary with our dedicated squad. When I joined the club, I noticed the team's challenges with injuries and match pressures, so I opted for lighter training sessions to lighten the load on the players. We are ready for a competitive and honorable performance at the World Cup, driven by our passion and strong team dynamics. The past is different: we're focused on today's opportunities."
Benzema!
Ahead of the match, Benzema said he valued playing in the World Cup as the host club: "We're all committed to winning and bringing joy to our fans in the next match. Prepared for this tough tournament, we're expecting an intense competition against all the teams. It will be an exciting experience for us and the fans. Our team spirit is high and, playing at home, we're boosted by the support of our fans. The Club World Cup is an exceptional event, with formidable teams, and we are aware of the need to play our best game. We are determined to win the FIFA Club World Cup, a testament to our hard work and team spirit. I'm excited to be working with coach Gallardo, an excellent coach with a track record of significant achievements in Argentina. We share many similarities in our approach to the game. Gallardo has a very close relationship with the team and we all value his leadership. To my teammates: cherish every moment of the World Cup matches. We're looking forward to showing our talents at the World Cup, fully aware that tomorrow's match will be a formidable challenge."
Saudi and New Zealander's League
In Saudi, Al-Ittihad are in fifth place with 28 points, four above Dhamk, Al Fateh and Al-Ettifaq, and three points below Al-Ahli and Al Taawon. In the New Zealand Premier League, Auckland City are in second place with 21 points from nine games, two below Wellington Olympic and five above Christchurch United.
Last Matches: Auckland City
On the other side, Auckland City come into the match on the back of three straight defeats. On Saturday (11), at home, the defeat came 3-1 to Wellington Olympic, with goals from Bouzokis (2) and Watson, while Vollenhoven netted. The following Saturday (18), at home once again, the defeat was 3-2 to Crhistchurch United, with goals from Gould and Sinclair. And on Saturday (25), they lost 2-0 away to Wellington Olympic once again, with goals from Wilkinson, Peterson and Stokes, while Vollenhoven and Kilkolly netted.
Last Matches: Al-Ittihad
Al-Ittihad come into this World Cup match on the back of two wins and one defeat in their last games. On Thursday (30), they beat Al Khaleej 4-2, with goals from Igor Coronado, Benzema, Hamdallah and Hawsari, while Narey and Al-Torais scored. On Monday (4), at home once again, the win was over Sepahan in the AFC Champions League, 2-1, with goals from Al-Amiri and João Filipe, while Rezeaian netted. On Thursday (7), away from home, the defeat came 3-1 to Dhamk, with goals from N'Koudou (2) and Marcelo Grohe, against, while Hamdallah pulled one back.
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