SPL Week 3: Benzema treble maintains perfect Al Ittihad start, Al Nassr rescues draw

Al Ittihad remain top of the Saudi Pro League after their 100% start to the new season continued with a 3-0 victory over Al Raed on Tuesday night.

Karim Benzema opened the scoring for the league leaders after just 12 minutes, before adding two more goals in the second half to complete his hat-trick.

Al Ittihad, who have now won all three of their opening matches, are two points clear of Al Nassr, who moved up to second place with a 2-2 draw against Damac.

Al Nassr were twice behind in the match, but goals from Anderson Talisca and Cristiano Ronaldo ensured a share of the spoils.

Elsewhere on Tuesday night, Al Hilal beat Al Faisaly 2-1, while Al Taawoun and Abha played out a 1-1 draw.

Benzema's hat-trick was his first for Al Ittihad since joining the Saudi club from Real Madrid in the summer.

The French striker, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2022, had a slow start to his career in Saudi Arabia, failing to score in his first two matches.

However, he showed his class against Al Raed, scoring three goals in the space of 15 minutes to put the game beyond doubt.

Al Ittihad's win over Al Raed was their third in a row, and they will be looking to maintain their perfect start to the season when they host Al Taawoun in their next match.

Al Nassr, meanwhile, will be looking to get back to winning ways when they travel to Al Adalah on Saturday.

Ronaldo scored his first goal for Al Nassr in the draw with Damac, and he will be hoping to add to his tally when they face Al Adalah.

The Portuguese forward joined Al Nassr on a free transfer in January, and he will be expected to play a key role in their bid to win the Saudi Pro League title.

With Benzema and Ronaldo now both finding their feet in Saudi Arabia, the title race is set to be one of the most exciting in years.

Al Ittihad and Al Nassr are the two early favorites, but there are a number of other teams who will be hoping to challenge for the title, including Al Hilal and Al Taawoun.