April 2, 2025 – Danilo Pereira became the hero with two injury-time goals, leading Al-Ittihad to a 3-2 victory over Al-Shabab in a dramatic King’s Cup semi-final on Tuesday. They will now face either Al-Qadsiah or Al-Raed, who play on Wednesday, in the final next month.
It was an exhilarating match. A first-half penalty by Fabinho seemed to put Al-Ittihad on course for their 19th King’s Cup final and a potential 10th title. However, Al-Shabab had other plans, scoring twice in three minutes early in the second half to turn the game around.
In a dramatic late twist, Al-Ittihad’s hopes of a league and cup double remained intact thanks to Pereira’s late heroics.
The game began with Al-Ittihad taking the lead after 14 minutes when Al-Shabab’s Robert Renan fouled Abdulrahman Al-Oboud in the area. Fabinho coolly converted the penalty to give his team the advantage.
The first half also featured a stunning visual display by Al-Ittihad's fans, with a "tifo" showing star striker Karim Benzema wielding a hammer, encouraging him to dominate the game.
Al-Shabab fought back strongly in the second half. In the 64th minute, Cristian Guanca scored a brilliant long-range shot into the top corner. Just three minutes later, Guanca scored again, heading home a cross from Yannick Carrasco to put Al-Shabab ahead.
With the clock ticking down, Al-Ittihad appeared headed for a fourth consecutive semi-final defeat, but Pereira had other ideas. In the 92nd minute, he pounced on a rebound after Benzema’s header was saved, heading the ball home to equalize. Then, in the 98th minute, Pereira scored again, converting a rebound from a corner to give Al-Ittihad a dramatic 3-2 win and send them to the final for the first time in six years.