Karim Benzema was held scoreless and Cristiano Ronaldo was absent with an injury, but there were still plenty of big names making their mark as the opening round of the Saudi Arabian league wrapped up on Monday. Benzema had an assist as defending champion Al-Ittihad won 3-0 at Al-Raed while Ronaldo's Al-Nassr lost 2-1 to Steven Gerrard’s Ettifaq, giving the English coach a winning debut. Gerrard watched as Al-Nassr took an early lead through another former Liverpool star, Sadio Mane, just one of several big names to arrive in the country ahead of the new season.
Saudi League: Benzema Shines As Al-Ittihad Win, Al-Hilal s Malcom Nets Hat Trick
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Football: Ittihad win Saudi league opener in style
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Gerrard hails champion mentality of Ettifaq players after win over Al-Nassr
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