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- Mendy made his debut for Al-Ahli
- Shocking error on his first appearance
- Firmino's hat-trick saved the blushes
WHAT HAPPENED? The former Chelsea goalkeeper made his first competitive appearance for his new outfit, after completing a £17 million ($21.5m) move, alongside ex-Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino. While Mendy got off to the worst possible start, the Brazilian forward bagged a hat-trick to fire Al-Ahli to a 3-1 win over Al-Hazm.
The Royals were cruising at 2-0 when Mendy had his brain fade moment. There was little danger when he received a backpass from his teammate. Al-Hazm's Vinicius Barbosa pressed him but he had enough room and space to clear the danger or find a teammate. However, he tried to pass it the first time and Barbosa cut his pass and lobbed the ball over his head with the perfect weight and direction. Mendy tried to get back to his goal line but was too late to prevent the ball from bulging the net.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Chelsea fans often raised questions about his passing and distribution during his stint at Stamford Bridge and his weakness with the ball at his feet was once again exposed.
WHAT NEXT? Mendy will look to rectify his mistake and put his best foot forward when Al-Ahli takes the field against Al-Khaleej on Thursday in their second league fixture.