Fixture Congestion

Karim Benzema missed a crucial penalty as Al Hilal were eliminated from the AFC Champions League Elite, and with the Saudi club now out of continental competition, the fallout could have consequences for Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the SPL title race. Karim Benzema found himself at the center of a painful moment on Monday after missing a decisive penalty in Al Hilal‘s elimination from the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite quarterfinals. With their continental ambitions now extinguished, the fallout from that exit could have significant implications for Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Al Nassr. At Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Al Hilal faced Qatari side Al Sadd in a rescheduled Round of 16 tie, part of a series of AFC fixtures in the western region pushed back from March. The game got off to a promising start for Al Hilal when Sergej Milinković-Savić opened the scoring in the 29th minute, but Al Sadd proved relentless in finding equalizers, with the two sides never separated by more than one goal in a pulsating 3-3 draw. The compressed schedule that followed the rescheduling forced the AFC to switch the remaining knockout ties from two-legged affairs to single-match eliminations. With the score still level after 90 minutes, the game went to extra time and then to a penalty shootout to decide who advanced to the quarterfinals. Roberto Firmino missed Al Sadd’s opening spot kick, leaving Al Hilal in the driving seat at 2-1, but Benzema then stepped up and sent his effort over the crossbar attempting to go top left. Al Sadd converted every remaining penalty, and with Saimon Bouabre also missing for Al Hilal, the Saudi side were eliminated 4-2 in the shootout. Karim Benzema misses the penalty!!! pic.twitter.com/isRewB2l0l — Football Scope (@FootScopeX) April 13, 2026 Al Hilal refocus on the SPL after continental exit The defeat to Al Sadd ended an otherwise unbeaten run for Al Hilal across both the AFC league phase and the Saudi Pro League in the 2025-26 season. With no international competition left to play for, Benzema’s side will now channel all of their energy into the domestic title race, a development that Al Nassr will be keeping a close eye on. Al Sadd will face Japanese side Vissel Kobe on Thursday, April 16 at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, with the semifinals scheduled for April 20 and 21 and the AFC Champions League Elite final set for April 25. Freed from those continental demands, Al Hilal will now have no fixture congestion to manage heading into the critical final weeks of the SPL season. Al Hilal’s next league match is not until April 28 against Damac FC, giving them a two-week window to rest, recover and sharpen up before resuming their title push. After a further fixture against Al Hazem on May 2, Benzema and Ronaldo will then square off on May 7 in what promises to be a defining Al Nassr vs. Al Hilal showdown that could go a long way toward deciding who lifts the Saudi Pro League trophy. On the other side of the equation, Al Nassr still have AFC Champions League Two commitments to attend to, with a quarterfinal against Al Wasl on the horizon and potentially more rounds beyond that. Ronaldo has been largely absent from the club’s continental games, but the added fixture load could leave Al Nassr’s squad with more fatigue in their legs when that pivotal May 7 clash arrives. That context gives Al Hilal a potential edge heading into the six-point encounter, having had significantly more rest in the buildup. Al Nassr currently hold a commanding lead with 73 points to Al Hilal’s 68, and a victory in that meeting could all but seal the title, setting up a Saudi Pro League finale where the championship could come down to the very last game of the season.

On Friday's Football Daily, Phil Egan has the latest ahead of a busy Premier League weekend Shamrock Rovers and Shels bid goodbye to Eurpoe McPhail departs Shamrock Rovers after almost a decade Slot insists that he and Salah have moved on Pep addresses speculation of his future Glasner on fixture congestion Become a member and subscribe at offtheball.com/join

Welcome to a special episode of The Overlap, live from Rome at the European Football Clubs (EFC) convention, with a live audience and special guest, former Chelsea, AC Milan and France legend Marcel Desailly. The team kick things off by discussing club ownership, asking what makes a good owner and what are the biggest challenges they face in the modern game. From there, the conversation turns to football’s biggest issues, including fixture congestion, player welfare, and whether Rodri’s recent injury is a sign that players are now being overworked. We then look back on Marcel Desailly’s incredible career, from tough Premier League battles with Duncan Ferguson and Alan Shearer to his move from midfield to defence. The World Cup winner also shares his coaching ambitions, thoughts on Financial Fair Play, and how he has seen the tactical side of football evolve over the years. What is one thing you would change about modern football? Let us know in the comments! Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode- and please leave a review to help others find us too. Thanks! 00:00 Intro 06:41 Debate on Player Rotation and Injuries 17:42 The Evolution of Football Tactics 21:58 Adapting to the English Premier League 26:20 The Financial Dynamics of European Football 30:55 The Debate on Salary Caps in Football 42:01 The Impact of Youth Academies on Modern Football 42:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vicky Gomersall and the Assistant Editor of the Mirror, Darren Lewis are joined by The Telegraph’s Chief Football Writer Sam Wallace to reflect on Arsenal’s win at Wolves – a victory that takes them back to the top of the Premier League. They review Manchester City’s FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea, including Pep Guardiola’s anger at City’s fixture congestion. Plus, they look at which team in the bottom three could be on for ‘The Great Escape’. We also hear from Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of another important weekend in the Reds’ bid for the title. Sunday Supplement is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/sunday-supplement You can listen to Sunday Supplement on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play Sunday Supplement". For all the latest football news, head to skysports.com/football For advertising opportunities or to get in touch email: [email protected]

Host Morayo is joined by Tobs This week they discuss: Fixture Congestion Beckham Documentary Eden Hazard legacy Listeners Questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whether it’s injuries piling up due to a ridiculously congested fixture list, or numerous human rights issues that shouldn’t be...

Robbie Mustoe and Robbie Earle recap Match Week 10 of the Premier League discussing the following:Chelsea and Tottenham's scoreless draw at Stamford Bridge (:40)Edinson Cavani's heroics in Manchester United's comeback win at Southampton (11:50)Liverpool's VAR controversy & Jurgen Klopp's ongoing frustration with fixture congestion (19:45)Manchester City's impressive win over Burnley (27:30)Arsenal's disappointing performance against Wolves (31:55)Concussion protocol in the Premier League after Raul Jimenez's injury (39:30)The underappreciated performances of Pedro Neto & Daniel Podence (43:45)A roundup of Palace 0-2 Newcastle, Everton 0-1 Leeds & West Brom 1-0 Sheffield United (45:30)Remembering Diego Maradona (48:25)

Following on from Liverpool's penalty shoot out victory over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, they now look to have a fixture pile up. With the #GW18 fixture against West Ham already postponed - when will they squeeze them all in? We look at the options open to them up until the end of February and the potential impact on FPL. ________________________________________________ You can find more from the Planet #FPL Team here: Website: www.planetfpl.com Twitter: @PlanetFPLPod (James) / @sujanshah (Suj) Facebook: www.facebook.com/PlanetFPL Instagram: @planetfpl You Tube: PlanetFPL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices