da apostebet： The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's return couldn't inspire Luis Castro's side, who are already six points off the top after just two matches

da cassino： Off the field, the Saudi Pro League continues to make headlines, with Neymar's arrival in the Middle East taking centre-stage over the past few days. On the field, though, some dramatic storylines are already beginning to play out after just two rounds of fixtures.

From Al-Nassr's disappointing start to the season to newly-promoted Al-Ahli proving to be the league's great entertainers, those new to the league are certainly getting plenty to talk about even while more new faces are linked with transfers ahead of the September 20 deadline.

GOALbreaks down the winners & losers from the second round of Saudi Pro League action…

Getty ImagesWINNER: Steven Gerrard

It has been a dream start for Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard as his Al-Ettifaq have secured maximum points from their opening two games after backing up their victory over Al-Nassr with a 2-0 win over Al-Hazm.

The ex-Rangers manager seems to have managed to put together a cohesive team faster than other new managers in the league, and the confidence among his players appears to be sky high at the moment.

An away match at Al-Hilal is beginning to appear on the horizon, but if they can go into that having kept up their 100 percent start to the season, then Gerrard will believe his team can be title-challengers in 2023-24.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Cristiano Ronaldo

Al-Nassr's opening-day defeat to Al-Ettifaq was blamed in part on the wealth of players who were missing from the line up for last season's runners-up. Only Sadio Mane of the club's summer arrivals was available while Cristiano Ronaldo was also missing having picked up an injury just 48 hours earlier in the final of the Arab Club Champions Cup.

So when the five-time Ballon d'Or winner returned to the line up alongside the likes of Marcelo Brozovic and Seko Fofana, it was presumed that Friday's home opener against Al-Taawoun would be far more straightforward. It was not to be, however.

Ronaldo spent more time arguing with the referee in the 2-0 loss than affecting the game as Al-Nassr became one of just four teams to have suffered defeat in both of their opening two games, leaving them six points adrift of their biggest title rivals already.

Ronaldo tried to get the home fans going as the game began to slip away in the second half, but he was instead greeted with a round of 'Messi, Messi' chants from the visiting supporters as the Portuguese suffered a night to forget on his first league outing of the campaign.

WINNER: Riyad Mahrez

Controversy over the captain's armband continues at Al-Ahli, but Riyad Mahrez showed that all the talk of him being overlooked was not going to affect his game as he proved the difference-maker in his side's 3-1 win over Al-Khaleej.

With opening-day hat-trick hero Roberto Firmino ruled out with a minor injury, it was Franck Kessie who was named captain for Thursday's game, despite Mahrez being a multiple Premier League title-winner, Champions League winner and one of the biggest names in Arab football.

Any disappointment didn't show, however, as Mahrez shone down the right-hand side, netting his side's second goal as Matthias Jaissle's newly-promoted team made it two wins from two to begin the campaign.

Mahrez's link-up play with Allan Saint-Maximin was particularly impressive, and with Firmino to come back into the line up, Al-Ahli certainly have a front three that all in the league will be fearing.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Ezgjan Alioski

Ex-Leeds United wideman Ezgjan Alioski did not feature for Al-Ahli as they earned promotion back to the Pro League last season, instead spending the campaign out on loan at Fenerbahce, but has returned to the club for 2023-24.

There were plenty, though, who believed the North Macedonia international may drop out of the line up or even be sold to make way for a higher-profile name during the summer. If his display against Al-Khaleej was anything to go by, however, then Alioski will be doing nowhere.

Playing at left-back, he was superb in both an attacking and defensive sense on Thursday, and it was his cross that found Roger Ibanez to head in the game's opening goal. If he can maintain this form, he has the chance to be one of the star foreign imports in 2023-24.