A clash of egos and old partnerships in Saudi Arabia turned in favour of Karim Benzema's Al Ittihad, who edged Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr 2-1 to reach the King's Cup quarterfinals.

The game sprang to life in the 15th minute when Moussa Diaby's quick counter found Benzema, and the former Real Madrid team‑mate coolly finished to make it 1-0. Al Nassr answered just after the half‑hour mark: Brazilian teenager Angelo Gabriel produced a stunning strike from inside the box to level.

Ten minutes later Ronaldo forced a smart save from Predrag Rajkovic with a long‑range attempt, but the decisive moment came just before the break. Mario Mitaj slipped a clever through‑ball to Houssem Aouar, who timed his run perfectly and slotted past Bento to restore Al Ittihad's lead.

The reigning Saudi Pro League champions are reduced to 10 men just four minutes after the restart when when Ahmed Al‑Julaydan was shown a straight red for a dangerous high kick on Aiman Yahya. Ronaldo later found himself one‑on‑one with Rajkovic, but could only send his weak chip into the Serbian's chest.

Al Ittihad held firm under late pressure to hang on for a 2-1 victory and a place in the last eight.