Roberto Firmino marks his Al-Ahli debut with a hat-trick as he makes a winning start to his Saudi Pro League career alongside Riyad Mahrez and Allan Saint-Maximin
- 9 months ago
Saudi Arabia's star wars kicked off with the return of a Jeddah club and a Hollywood hat-trick for Roberto Firmino.
Following a government-funded summer spending spree that has seen the likes of Karim Benzema, Steven Gerrard, and Jordan Henderson follow Cristiano Ronaldo to the middle east, a free transfer – albeit a very well-paid one – stole the show on opening night.
Al-Ahli, promoted from the second tier, overpowered Al-Hazem, who was not one of the four lucky ones to have been taken over by the PIF state fund in June.
At a raucous Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, on the outskirts of the coastal city, around 25,000 watched Firmino and fellow Premier League recruits Edouard Mendy, Riyad Mahrez, and Allan Saint-Maximin make debuts. Many got there three hours before kick-off but did not have to wait long to see what they had come for.
Mahrez and Firmino, previously on opposite sides of the Manchester City and Liverpool rivalry, combined twice in the first 15 minutes to prompt noisy jubilation.
Following a government-funded summer spending spree that has seen the likes of Karim Benzema, Steven Gerrard, and Jordan Henderson follow Cristiano Ronaldo to the middle east, a free transfer – albeit a very well-paid one – stole the show on opening night.
Al-Ahli, promoted from the second tier, overpowered Al-Hazem, who was not one of the four lucky ones to have been taken over by the PIF state fund in June.
At a raucous Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, on the outskirts of the coastal city, around 25,000 watched Firmino and fellow Premier League recruits Edouard Mendy, Riyad Mahrez, and Allan Saint-Maximin make debuts. Many got there three hours before kick-off but did not have to wait long to see what they had come for.
Mahrez and Firmino, previously on opposite sides of the Manchester City and Liverpool rivalry, combined twice in the first 15 minutes to prompt noisy jubilation.