Neymar returned and Al Hilal beat Al Ain in a nine-goal game
Today, Saudi Arabian champions Al Hilal secured an away victory over Al Ain in the third round of the AFC Champions League. However, this match stood out for one significant reason.
Details: In the 77th minute, Al Hilal’s star forward Neymar made his long-awaited return to the pitch. This was his first match since October 18 last year, when the Brazilian suffered a cruciate ligament injury in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.
Although Neymar did not contribute directly to any goals, the game was remarkable, with a total of nine goals scored.
In the first half, Al Hilal took a commanding 3-1 lead. After the break, Jorge Jesus’ team added two more goals but conceded three. The final result was a thrilling 5-4 victory for the visitors.
Saudi football legend Salem Al-Dawsari scored a hat-trick, while Renan Lodi and Sergej Milinković-Savić each added a goal.
This was only Neymar’s sixth appearance for Al Hilal. After his €90 million transfer from PSG, he has so far registered one goal and three assists in five matches.
Reminder: Both Al Ain and Al Hilal will participate in the upcoming 2025 Club World Cup. Al Ain won the AFC Champions League last season, while Al Hilal triumphed in 2021.
Al Ain: Neymar returned to action after a year out through injury and helped Al-Hilal beat Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates 5-4 in the group stage of the AFC Champions League Elite.
Neymar signed for the Saudi Arabia club in August 2023 but played only five times before tearing an anterior cruciate ligament last October.
He came off the bench 369 days later for the four-time Asian champion with 13 minutes remaining at Al Ain. He almost scored immediately when his low shot from left of the area shaved the post.
