Al-Ettifaq star Jordan Henderson was incredibly fortunate not to have been shown a straight red card in his side’s heated clash with Al-Nassr. The former Liverpool captain sparked a major brawl by viciously barging Otavio on three separate occasions.
Henderson has struggled since making the move to the Saudi Pro League and his conduct in Al-Ettifaq’s King Cup clash with Al-Nassr epitomised his time in the Middle East to date.
With the match still goalless, tempers boiled over when the England international came to blows with Otavio on the halfway line, after his teammate Ali Hazazi had attempted to run down the clock late on by not giving the ball back after a free-kick was awarded.
As Otavio attempted to retrieve the ball, Henderson cut across the winger and shoulder barged the former Porto star to the floor. Otavio then jumped back to his feet to protest before being barged again by the Al-Ettifaq star. The referee raced onto the scene and gave Hazazi his marching orders, though the booking actually distracted the official from another red card offence.
As Otavio, once again, turned to Henderson and attempted to take issue with the initial challenge, the midfielder barged him again and was sent tumbling to the deck after being caught in the face by the ex-Sunderland star’s shoulder. Cristiano Ronaldo raced onto the scene to check on his teammate before numerous other players from both side’s broke into a major brawl.
Henderson was somehow managed to escape a booking, though Al-Nassr had the last laugh on the night as Sadio Mane broke the deadlock in the 107th minute to secure a 1-0 win for his side and ensured kept their hopes of winning the King Cup alive.
