Saudi Arabia's star wars kicked off with the return of a Jeddah club and a Hollywood hat-trick for Roberto Firmino.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br />
