Video: with his first goal, Wijnaldum saves Al-Ittihad from a historic defeat in the AFC Champions League Elite

Netherlands midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, the new Al-Ittihad player, spared the Saudi side their first defeat of the season with his first goal for the club against Qatar's Al-Shamal in the AFC Champions League Elite.

Al-Ittihad drew 1-1 with Al-Shamal at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor on Monday, in the opening round of the league stage of the Asian tournament.

Algerian striker Baghdad Bounedjah put Al-Shamal ahead in the 63rd minute. He collected a ground pass inside the Al-Ittihad box and struck it with his left foot, the ball deflecting off the defence and beyond Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic.

Wijnaldum had other ideas. Introduced as a second-half substitute, he levelled at the decisive moment deep in stoppage time, brilliantly turning a low cross from his compatriot Steven Bergwijn into the net for his first goal for the club.

That leaves Al-Ittihad unbeaten since the start of the season. They have played seven Roshn League matches, winning five and drawing two, and sit second on 17 points, one behind Al-Hilal.

Wins over Al-Najma in the round of 32 of the King's Cup and the UAE's Al-Jazira in the preliminary round of the AFC Champions League Elite have stretched that unbeaten run to 10 games.

Al-Shamal, meanwhile, threw away a historic victory. It would have been their first win in the history of the AFC Champions League Elite, and it came in their very first match in the competition.

The draw leaves both sides on a single point, with Al-Shamal third and Al-Ittihad fourth in the West group, pending the rest of the first-round fixtures.