Sunday's Dubai Super Cup clash between Liverpool and Lyon was made all the more fun by its disorganised, chaotic nature.
In what represents something of a landmark event for professional football in this region, the arrivals of Arsenal, Lyon, AC Milan and Liverpool has proven to be big business.
With two of the most well-supported giants of the Premier League in here alongside seven-time European champions Milan, it would be no real shock if Ligue 1 side Lyon felt they were making up the numbers somewhat by their presence, despite being one of the biggest clubs in France in their own right.
That feeling was perhaps only heightened before kick-off when the excitable stadium announcer at the Al Maktoum didn't quite fulfill the brief of reading out the names of the players on the respective teams on Sunday afternoon.
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Liverpool's squad list appeared as it normally would but the surname-first nature of Lyon's led to some comical moments from the master of ceremonies shortly before kick-off. Cue much (well, some) hilarity around the press box as the announcer read out names like Lacazette Alexandre and Dembele Moussa before attempting to stir up the atmosphere with a hearty shout for OL boss Blanc Laurent.
And fair play to the announcer for battling on gamely when confronted with the name of Liverpool's goalkeeper for the first half. Caoimhin is a moniker that is difficult enough for some native English speakers to pronounce at times, so the Irish goalkeeper might just be in a forgiving mood for being referred to instead as 'Calvin'.
There was also a case of mistaken identity inside the opening minute of this 3-1 defeat after Fabio Carvalho had wheeled away with a goal to his name. After tucking away Liverpool's first chance of the afternoon, Carvalho might have overheard said stadium PA giving the goal to Andy Robertson. The Scotland international doesn't get many for the Reds and this was certainly not his, either.
Carvalho will no doubt have been unimpressed with having the effort taken away from him by the mishap and given the well-known playful nature of Liverpool's left-back within the squad, it would be no surprise if the young attacker is having to fight for the right to be considered the real goalscorer after the mix up on the microphone.
But one thing that will always unite opposing fan bases inside football stadiums is any comical happenings to the referee and there was plenty to laugh about midway through the first half when a pass upfield struck official Ahmed Essa Mohamed on the heels with force to send him tumbling to the floor near the centre circle. No need for a VAR check on that one; it had to be a booking for simulation. No injury, at least, aside from some bruised pride maybe.
The post-match scenes were dominated by Liverpool doing a lap of honour in appreciation for the mix of locals and expat fans who had made the trip out to see their heroes in action. The biggest cheers were reserved for Mohamed Salah and Jurgen Klopp, but one overzealous fan was inevitably speared to the floor as he attempted to get up close and personal with his idols on the pitch.
The supporter in question would have been better off hanging around the mixed zone after the game. As reporters gathered to try and get a quick word with the players involved, the area was populated mainly by youngsters desperate to get pictures with the Liverpool stars.
Despite being up against it time-wise, the likes of Thiago Alcantara, Joe Gomez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all stopped to pose for a handful. It was Roberto Firmino who went above and beyond, though, happily beaming out that megawatt smile on around half a dozen snaps before exiting stage left. He's never one to disappoint his adoring public.
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