Neymar Returns: Al Hilal Secures Dramatic 5-4 Victory Against Al Ain in AFC Champions League
Brazilian sensation Neymar made his much-awaited comeback to competitive football on Monday after more than a year out of the game.
During the thrilling 5-4 triumph over Asian champions Al Ain during the AFC Champions League match hosted at the Hazzan Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, UAE, the Al Hilal attacker made an impression as a second-half substitution.
The standout player for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain in the past, Neymar had been sidelined since sustaining a serious knee injury in October of last year while playing for his country. His left knee was damaged by rupturing the meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament, requiring surgery and a protracted recuperation period. With 79 goals in 128 appearances, he is Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer. Al Hilal will benefit greatly from his return.
In the 76th minute of the game, Neymar was brought on as a substitute, making his first bench appearance since his injury. Through goals from Renan Lodi, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and a spectacular hat-trick from Salem Al Dawsari, Al Hilal had already taken a dominating 5-3 lead.
As coach Jorge Jesus put it, “I need to prepare Neymar with games; that’s the only possible means to bring him to his level, which was the idea today.” Neymar needs to regain his competitive edge through playing experience. He understood the dangers of progressively adding back such a key player to the starting lineup.
Al Hilal took the lead early in the 26th minute of the game. Aleksandar Mitrovic, a former striker for Fulham and Newcastle United, set up Lodi, who scored with a perfect low shot that went past Khalid Essa, the goalie for Al Ain. But just before the half, Morocco’s Soufiane Rahimi scored a brilliant cross to tie the score for the home team.
It wasn’t long before Al Hilal picked up steam in first-half stoppage time. Recently signed from Manchester City, Joao Cancelo supplied a precise cross that made it possible for Milinkovic-Savic to score with a header. Al Dawsari showed off his class a few moments later when he danced past Essa and curled a breathtaking shot into the net.
Al Hilal’s superiority was obvious despite a solid effort by Al Ain, who cut the deficit with substitute Mateo Sanabria. After Milinkovic and Savic set up Al Dawsari for his second goal, Rahimi scored once more to keep the game close.
After defender Ali Al Bulaihi was sent off for a purposeful handball in a tight ending, Al Hilal was down to ten men. Rahimi was given and converted a penalty as a result for his hat-trick, but Al Hilal managed to hold on for the victory.
Neymar didn’t have much time to have a significant impact, but he did manage a close miss toward the end of the game, indicating his intention to play a bigger role once he’s fully recovered.
With three wins from three games, Al Hilal leads their group in the AFC Champions League, while Al Ain is struggling with just one point.
