Saudi Gazette report
DOHA — Adil Boulbina delivered a blistering hat-trick as Qatar’s Al Duhail SC handed Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad a 4-2 defeat in their AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 clash on Monday, boosting the hosts’ push toward the knockout rounds.

The 22-year-old Algerian was the undisputed star of the night, striking in the fifth, 33rd and 53rd minutes before Krzysztof Piatek added a fourth in the 74th minute.

A late brace from Karim Benzema kept Al Ittihad in touch, but Sergio Conceicao’s side left Doha empty-handed.

The victory lifts Al Duhail to seven points from five matches in the West Zone league phase, while Al Ittihad remain on six with three group games left.

Boulbina opened the scoring with a thunderous effort from 25 yards, his left-footed strike flying beyond Predrag Rajkovic’s reach.

Al Duhail nearly doubled their lead in the 16th minute when Sultan Al Brake broke down the left, only for Rajkovic to deny him at the near post.

Al Ittihad responded through Moussa Diaby, whose clipped cross found Benzema, but the French striker’s header drifted wide.

Al Duhail struck again 12 minutes before the interval. Captain Marco Verratti split the defence with a sublime long through ball, sending Boulbina racing clear.

A clever feint wrong-footed Rajkovic before he lashed home his second.

Rajkovic kept Al Ittihad’s hopes alive early in the second half with back-to-back saves from Piatek and Boulbina, but the Algerian refused to be denied.

In the 53rd minute, Luis Alberto released him into the box, where he cut inside Jan Carlo Simic and fired low under Rajkovic for a sensational hat-trick.

Fabinho forced a strong save from Bautista Burke as Al Ittihad pushed forward, yet Piatek made it 4-0 with a powerful right-foot finish that Rajkovic could not keep out.

Benzema responded with a header two minutes later and added a classy right-foot finish in the 83rd minute, but the two late goals were not enough to rescue Al Ittihad from a damaging defeat.