Steven Gerrard was left “full of sadness” by his team’s draw, while Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and Fabinho were reunited on and off the pitch.
Since his controversial takeover as manager of Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq, Gerrard has brought two of Liverpool’s most influential figures from recent years to the club.
However, a Wijnaldum goal and Henderson’s presence wasn’t enough to beat champions Al-Ittihad, despite leading at the break.
A 1-1 draw ensued as Fabinho featured alongside Karim Benzema for Al-Ittihad, who equalised through 32-year-old Moroccan Abderrazak Hamdallah, in the 54th minute.
After the match, there was reunion between Jurgen Klopp‘s Champions League-winning midfield, as Fabinho, Henderson and Wijnaldum posed for a selfie.
Henderson posted the photo with the caption “reunited” followed by a love heart and smiling face.
His manager, Gerrard, said the players weren’t happy after the game, though.
“The dressing room was full of sadness on my players’ faces because of the draw,” the former Rangers boss commented.
“We’re disappointed with the result, we were closer to getting the three points.”
Gerrard decided against using any substitutes in the game, explaining: “No player deserved to be changed to be honest. That’s why we didn’t use the bench.”
His team sit seventh in the league, 15 points behind leaders Al-Hilal, just 14 matches into the campaign.
With Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino also moving to Saudi Arabia in the summer, there are now five of Liverpool’s 2019 European Cup-winning side playing there.
This is despite controversy over the nation’s human rights record and sportswashing intentions.
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