The nine-goal thriller between Al Ain and Al Hilal brought out great emotions, from Soufiane Rahimi’s hat-trick to Neymar’s return to the pitch after being side-lined with an injury for more than a year.
Renan Lodi broke the deadlock in the 26th minute, giving Al Hilal the lead with a fine assist from Mitrovic. Moroccan international Soufiane Rahimi drew his side level 13 minutes later. Two quick goals from Milinkovic-Savic and Al Dawsari at the stroke of half-time put Al Hilal two goals ahead.
In the 56th minute, Al Ain coach Hernan Crespo brought on Mateo Sanabria, the 20-year-old repaid his manager’s trust by putting Al Ain back into the game with a goal in the 63rd minute.
However, Al Ain’s comeback hopes were dashed again as Al Dawsari scored Al Hilal’s fourth goal. Rahimi continued to fight back, halving the deficit with his second goal to make it 4-3. But Al Dawsari, a constant threat to the Al Ain defense, completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute, extending Al Hilal’s lead to 5-3.
Neymar was introduced to the game in the 77th minute, coming on as a substitute for Nasser Al Dawsari. He received a standing ovation from the away fans, marking an emotional moment for his family and the football world as one of the sport’s best players returned to action.
Al Hilal were reduced to ten men in the 82nd minute when Ali Al-Bulaihi was shown a red card. In the closing stages, Al Ain were awarded a penalty, and Rahimi stepped up to complete his hat-trick, making it 5-4. Despite his brilliant performance, Al Ain fell just short.
After the game, Neymar expressed his joy to reporters, saying, “I feel good. I always have a great team. I am so happy. I am back! I am back!”
By: Ibidunni Doyinsola
info@thesubstancenews.com
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