Benzema nets stunning goal on debut for Al-Ittihad after £86m-per-season move

Karima Benzema scored on his debut for Al-Ittihad to help them beat ES Tunis in the Arab Club Champions Cup.

The 35-year-old striker joined the Saudi Pro League champions earlier this summer, signing a three-year deal after calling time on his career at Real Madrid.

He became the second star, after Cristiano Ronaldo, to move the Middle Eastern country with a host of  other stars in Europe following suite since.

Al-Ittihad supporters got their first sight of Benzema as he started against Tunis with Jota, who joined from Celtic, also in the starting XI.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side were tied 1-1 when the Frenchman cut in from the left and unleashed a curler from the edge of the box which found the top corner.

Al-Ittihad had trailed when Ousemma Bouguerra's thumping volley in the 26th minute strike put ES Tunis ahead.

But the Saudi club equalised six minutes later as Abderrazak Hamdallah netted with a close-range header from a cross by Benzema, who went on to score the winning goal.

N'Golo Kante also came off the bench to mark his debut for the club after joining from Chelsea on a free transfer.

Al-Ittihad have won the Arab Club Champions Cup once in their history, in 2004-05, and will be hoping to add to it this year.

They will take on Tunisian side CS Sfaxien on Sunday in their second match of the competition.

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