AL AIN, Saudi Arabia — After spending nearly an entire year sidelined due to injury, Neymar made a significant return to the football field, contributing to Al-Hilal’s thrilling 5-4 victory over Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates during the AFC Champions League group stage on Monday.

Neymar joined the Saudi club in August 2023 but had limited playtime, participating in only five matches before sustaining a torn anterior cruciate ligament last October. On Monday, he marked his comeback by stepping onto the pitch with 13 minutes left, making an immediate impact as he nearly scored with a shot that glanced off the post.

The encounter was filled with excitement as Al-Hilal faced off against the reigning champions. Renan Lodi opened the scoring for Al-Hilal in the 26th minute, but Soufiane Rahimi quickly equalized, showcasing his prowess as the tournament’s top scorer from the previous season. By the end of the first half, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Salem Al-Dawsari had propelled Al-Hilal to a 3-1 lead.

In the second half, Mateo Sanabria brought Al Ain back into contention shortly after the hour mark. However, Al-Dawsari found the net twice more, completing a hat-trick for Al-Hilal. Rahimi also achieved a hat-trick for Al Ain, culminating in a nail-biting score of 5-4 in favor of Al-Hilal, which maintained their flawless record in the Champions League following three matches.

In other tournament action, Al-Ahli from Saudi Arabia secured a 2-1 win against Qatar’s Al-Rayyan, spurred by goals from Gabri Veiga and Firas Al-Buraikan. Meanwhile, Iraq’s Al-Shorta played Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor to a scoreless draw, and Qatar’s Al-Sadd edged out Iran’s Persepolis with a narrow 1-0 victory.

On Tuesday, Al-Nassr, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, will face Iran’s Esteghlal. Due to safety concerns in Iran, the match has been relocated to Dubai.