5 talking points as Henderson gets better of Mane in Al-Ettifaq vs Al-Nassr
A host of familiar faces from the Premier League locked horns for the first time in the Middle East as Al-Ettifaq hosted Al-Nassr on Monday night.
The hosts, managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, boasted Jordan Henderson in their starting line-up following his blockbuster transfer from Anfield last month, while former Anfield favourite Sadio Mane led the line for Al-Nassr at the Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium.
It was Mane who broke the deadlock after just four minutes to nudge Al-Nassr into an early lead, but Robin Quaison restored parity early in the second-half. And the turnaround was complete in the 53rd minute as Moussa Dembele scored what proved to be the winner.
Here, Mirror Football rounds up the talking points from the big Saudi Pro-League clash...
No Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo was the first megastar to make the jump to the Saudi Pro League, but on a night where a host of ex-Premier League stars reunited in the Middle East, the veteran striker was absent for the visitors.
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The 38-year-old appeared to sustain a knee injury in Al-Nassr's recent meeting with Al-Hilal and was a doubt heading into Monday night's fixture.
And the former Manchester United ace was forced to watch on from the sidelines as Sadio Mane instead led the line for Luis Castro's side.
Mane makes his mark
Sadio Mane celebrates his goal against Al-Ettifaq (Getty Images)It certainly didn't take Sadio Mane long to make his mark in an Al-Nassr shirt.
The former Liverpool striker was ditched by Bayern Munich this summer just 12 months after leaving Anfield for a new challenge and was snapped up by Al-Nassr as a marquee summer signing.
And he showed exactly why Al-Nassr were keen to bring him to Saudi Arabia with a tidy run and finish in the early stages of Monday night's match.
Henderson's blushes spared
Jordan Henderson starred for Al-Ettifaq on Monday night (Essa Doubisi/Getty)Jordan Henderson's decision to accept a move to the Saudi Pro League from Liverpool left a sour taste in the mouth for more reasons than one - and he didn't enjoy the ideal start to life at Al-Ettifaq after his misplaced pass gifted Sadio Mane an early goal.
But the former Liverpool skipper, who donned both the captain's armband and the No.10 shirt for his new club, played a major role in the goal which got Al-Ettifaq back onto level terms.
His corner was fumbled by the Al-Nassr goalkeeper and bundled home by Robin Quaison and with momentum in the hosts favour, Moussa Dembele scored to give Al-Ettihad the lead - and spare Henderson's blushes.
Gerrard pulls a rabbit out the hat
Steven Gerrard saw his new side make a winning start to the new Saudi Pro League campaign (Essa Doubisi/Getty)It was a night to remember for Steven Gerrard, who masterminded a rousing second-half fightback for Al-Ettifaq.
The Liverpool legend was lured to Saudi Arabia at the second attempt after snubbing Al-Ettifaq's initial offer and is aiming to rebuild his reputation following an underwhelming stint at Aston Villa.
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Gerrard was left frustrated at the half-time interval with his new side 1-0 down and even became embroiled in a heated discussion with his opposite number, Luis Castro.
Whatever he said during the break certainly did the trick, though - he made changes and two goals in six minutes turned the match around to give Gerrard a perfect start in the league.
Jeepers keepers
On a night where he shared the pitch with several well-known stars, Nawaf Al-Aqidi failed to cover himself in glory.
The Al-Nassr goalkeeper dropped Jordan Henderson's corner following the faintest of touches to gift Al-Ettifaq their equaliser and should have done better with Moussa Dembele's strike just a few minutes later.
Nawaf's shaky moments ended up costing Al-Nassr dear - and his display wouldn't have impressed his new high-profile teammates.
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