Brazilian star Neymar made his long-awaited return to the pitch on Monday, coming off the bench in the second half of Al Hilal’s thrilling 5-4 victory against Asian champions Al Ain in the UAE. This marked Neymar’s first appearance in over a year after he suffered a torn meniscus and ACL in his left knee while playing for his national team in October 2022.
At 32 years old, Neymar is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer, with an impressive tally of 79 goals in 128 matches. He was named on the bench for Al Hilal for the first time since his injury and was brought on in the 76th minute during the Asian Champions Elite match held at the crowded Hazzan Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain.
By that point, Al Hilal was ahead 5-3, thanks to contributions from Renan Lodi, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and a hat-trick by Salem Al Dawsari. However, Neymar won’t be eligible to play in the Saudi Pro League until January.
After the match, Al Hilal’s coach, Jorge Jesus, stated the importance of using games to reintegrate Neymar and bring him back to peak form. He acknowledged the risks involved but felt this was the only way to get the talented player back in shape.
The match began with Al Hilal taking the lead in the first half, when Aleksandar Mitrovic assisted Lodi for a low shot that beat Al Ain’s goalkeeper, Khalid Essa. Al Ain equalized shortly before halftime through Soufiane Rahimi, who was a standout player in their previous Asian success.
Al Hilal took control before the break, with Milinkovic-Savic scoring from a header and Al Dawsari netting a goal after evading Essa. Al Ain managed to reduce the deficit in the second half, but Al Dawsari answered back promptly. Despite late pressure from Al Ain, including a hat-trick penalty from Rahimi after Al Hilal went down to ten men, Al Hilal managed to secure the victory.
While Neymar’s impact was limited due to the time constraints, he did get a shot off in the dying moments of the match. Al Hilal currently sits at the top of their Western region group with three wins from three matches, whereas Al Ain has only recorded one point in their campaign.