Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal secured a thrilling 5-4 victory against defending champions Al-Ain in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite on Monday. The game was highlighted by Salem Al-Dawsari's remarkable hat-trick, which overshadowed the much-anticipated return of Neymar to competitive football.
Neymar, who was sidelined since last October due to a cruciate ligament rupture, made his appearance as a substitute in the 77th minute. His return played a key role as Al-Hilal avenged last season's semi-final loss to Al-Ain, even as they played the final stages with just 10 men.
The victory keeps Al-Hilal atop the league standings in West Asia after three rounds, accumulating nine points. They are closely followed by fellow Saudi side Al-Ahli, who secured a 2-1 win over Qatar's Al-Rayyan.
The match was a high-scoring affair, with Gabri Veiga giving Al-Ahli an early lead from a direct corner in the 16th minute. Feras Al-Brikan extended their advantage with a header seven minutes into the second half, but Fahad Al-Hamad's own goal kept Al-Ahli in the game until the final 25 minutes.
Qatar's Al-Sadd notched their second win of the campaign, moving to seven points with Matheus Uribe's first-half goal against Iran's Persepolis. Meanwhile, Al-Shorta of Iraq and Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan ended their match in a 0-0 draw.
In a nine-goal thriller at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Hilal's Jorge Jesus led his team to their third consecutive win in the competition. Salem Al-Dawsari and Al-Ain's Soufiane Rahimi each scored hat-tricks, making the match unforgettable.
\"There were a lot of goals, a lot of chances and we managed to win the game with one player less in the end, so it's a big win for us,\" said Al-Hilal striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Al-Hilal took the lead in the 26th minute through Renan Lodi, but Rahimi equalized for Al-Ain just before halftime. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Al-Dawsari quickly extended Al-Ain's lead, pushing the visitors two goals ahead at halftime.
Despite Mateo Sanabria's efforts to pull one back for Al-Ain after the interval, Al-Dawsari struck again, putting the result beyond doubt. Rahimi completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in added time, ensuring a memorable win for Al-Hilal.
The result keeps Al-Hilal perfect after three rounds, while Al-Ain is still seeking their first win in the revamped competition, which now sees the top eight finishers in the league phase from both East and West Asia advance to the knockout rounds.
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Al-Dawsari's hat-trick overshadows Neymar's return, seals Al-Hilal win
cgtn.com
