Former Liverpool star Fabinho made his debut in the Saudi Pro League on Monday, 14 August. Fabinho helped Al-Ittihad begin their Saudi Pro League title defence with an emphatic 3-0 win over Al-Raed on Monday.
The Champions League and Premier League-winning defender was gifted a luxury watch after the match by Saudi journalist Ibrahim Al-Faryan. As the journalist tried to put on the watch on Fabinho’s wrist, the player dropped the watch – worth thousands of dollars.
On Monday, Al-Ittihad kicked off their Saudi Pro League title defense with a resounding 3-0 victory over Al-Raed. At the same time, Al-Hilal’s Malcom scored three goals to secure a 3-1 win against Abha.
Under the management of Nuno Espirito Santo, Al-Ittihad fielded a formidable lineup that included Ballon d’Or recipient and former Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema as the lead striker. The midfield was solidly anchored by N’Golo Kante and Fabinho.
Despite his reputation, Benzema did not find the back of the net in this match. However, he did contribute significantly to the team’s success. After a scoreless first half, Benzema assisted in a goal following a well-executed tackle by Fabinho in the midfield that initiated a counter-attack. Benzema then passed the ball to Abderrazak Hamdallah on the wing.
Hamdallah, a Moroccan forward who had an impressive record of 21 league goals last season, had missed an easy shot just moments before. However, he regained his composure, manoeuvred past two defenders, and scored just before the 60-minute mark.
The scoring didn’t stop there. Brazilian midfielder Igor Coronado netted two goals within a span of six minutes. His first goal came after a one-two play, resulting in a shot that left Ahmad Al-Harbi, the opposing goalkeeper, diving in vain. His second goal followed shortly after, when he capitalized on a rebound from a long-range strike by Kante to fire home.
Saudi Pro League has been a lucrative destination for footballers in their twilights this season. Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s signing by Al-Nasser, several footballers who were not guaranteed minutes in the main squad have chosen to move away to the Saudi Pro League on sky-high financial deals.
