Football

Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal maintained their perfect start to the AFC Champions League Elite with a 3-0 victory over Iran's Esteghlal on Monday, thanks to a hat-trick from Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serbian striker scored twice in the first half to give Al Hilal a comfortable lead, before completing his treble in the second half.Brazil's Neymar made his second appearance in two weeks for Al Hilal, coming on as a second-half substitute. However, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star appeared to suffer a thigh injury and was replaced after just 28 minutes.Al Ahli, another Saudi Arabian side, also secured a victory on Monday, defeating Al Shorta of Iraq 5-1. Roberto Firmino and Riyad Mahrez both scored twice for Al Ahli, while Feras Al Buraikan added another.Elsewhere in the AFC Champions League Elite, UAE's Al Wasl were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Al Sadd of Qatar, while Iran's Persepolis and Qatar's Al Gharafa played out the same scoreline in Dubai.Al Hilal now top the standings for West Asia with four wins from four, while Al Ahli are second with 12 points from a possible 12.

Neymar, the Brazilian football superstar, suffered another injury setback on Monday during his second game back from a year-long absence. The incident occurred in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as Neymar's Al-Hilal faced Esteghlal of Iran in the AFC Champions League Elite.Neymar, who recently recovered from a torn ACL, came off the bench after 58 minutes. However, the 32-year-old forward was forced to leave the field with three minutes remaining after appearing to pull up after stretching his leg out for the ball in the penalty area.Despite the injury, Neymar has time to recover before his next game, as he is not registered for Al-Hilal's matches in the Saudi Pro League. The next fixture in the AFC competition is scheduled for November 25.Aleksandar Mitrovic, the Serbian striker, stole the show for Al-Hilal, scoring a hat trick to lead the four-time Asian champion to a 3-0 victory. Mitrovic's goals came from close range, with the first coming after 15 minutes, the second just after the half-hour mark, and the third with 16 minutes remaining.Al-Hilal remains top of the 12-team group, with the top eight teams advancing to the Round of 16. They are ahead of Saudi Arabian rival Al-Ahli on goal difference after Al-Ahli thrashed Al-Shorta of Iraq 5-1, with former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino scoring twice in the first half.In other AFC Champions League matches, Al-Wasl of the United Arab Emirates drew 1-1 with Qatar's Al-Sadd, while the game between Persepolis of Iran and Al-Gharafa of Qatar ended in the same scoreline.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG), a prominent Indian football club, has received recognition from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for its withdrawal from the AFC Champions League 2 match against Tractor FC in Iran last month. The club cited concerns over player safety and security amidst the volatile situation in the West Asian nation.The AFC initially withdrew MBSG from the tournament pending a decision on the matter. However, after reviewing the club's appeal, the AFC Competitions Committee has now acknowledged the force majeure event. This means that MBSG will not face any penalties under clause 5.7 of the AFC Champions League 2 Competition Regulations.However, as per clauses 5.5 and 5.6 of the regulations, MBSG remains withdrawn from the tournament for the ongoing season. The club was scheduled to face Tractor FC on October 2 in a Group A match of the ACL, the continent's second-tier club competition.MBSG's decision to withdraw was prompted by the players' reluctance to travel to Iran following the death of a prominent general of the Revolutionary Guard in an Israeli air strike. The situation escalated with Iran launching missiles on Israel, heightening political tensions between the two countries.The AFC had previously rescheduled matches across its tournaments due to the security situation in Iran. However, MBSG accused the continental football body of "unequal treatment" after it was withdrawn from competitions while other matches were rescheduled.The recognition of MBSG's force majeure event by the AFC is a significant development. It acknowledges the club's concerns for player safety and security and ensures that it will not face any penalties for its withdrawal. However, MBSG's withdrawal from the tournament for the ongoing season remains a disappointment for the club and its fans.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant, an Indian football club, has withdrawn from their AFC Champions League match against Tractor FC in Iran due to safety concerns amid the ongoing tensions in the region. The club's decision was prompted by the unwillingness of its players to travel to Iran following the death of a prominent Iranian general in an Israeli air strike.Mohun Bagan was scheduled to face Tractor FC on Wednesday in Tabriz, Iran. However, the club received letters from its 35 registered players, including seven foreigners, expressing their reluctance to play in Iran at this time. The players cited the volatile situation in the country and the state of mourning declared by the Iranian government."We have decided to not travel to Iran keeping our players' safety and security in mind, because that is paramount," said a Mohun Bagan source. "We have also written to the ministry of external affairs as their advisory states that you can go to Iran or Israel on your own responsibility."The club has requested the Asian Football Federation (AFC) to either reschedule the match or move it to a neutral venue. Mohun Bagan had booked flights and arranged hotel accommodation for the trip, but the safety concerns of its players took precedence.In their first match of Group A, Mohun Bagan played out a goalless draw against Tajikistan's FC Ravshan. Tractor FC leads the standings with a 3-0 win over Qatar's Al-Wakrah SC.The decision by Mohun Bagan highlights the challenges faced by sports teams traveling to regions with political instability. The safety and well-being of players and staff must always be the top priority, and clubs must make informed decisions based on the latest information and advice from relevant authorities.

East Bengal FC's AFC Champions League campaign came to an abrupt end on Wednesday as they succumbed to a 2-3 defeat against Turkmenistan's Altyn Asyr FC in the AFC Champions League Two Preliminary Stage in Kolkata. The Kolkata giants will now compete in the AFC Challenge League Group Stage.Despite a promising start, East Bengal found themselves trailing 2-1 at halftime. Altyn Asyr FC, fielding a team without any foreign players, equalized through Myrat Annayev's volley in the 17th minute. Nurmyradov Selim's free-kick gave the visitors the lead 11 minutes later.East Bengal's hopes of a comeback were further dented when Mihail Titov extended Altyn Asyr FC's lead to 3-1 in the second half. Saul Crespo pulled one back for the hosts in the 59th minute, but it proved to be a mere consolation.East Bengal's early exit from the AFC Champions League is a disappointment for the club and its fans. The Kolkata giants had hoped to make a deep run in the competition, but they were ultimately outplayed by a determined Altyn Asyr FC side.Altyn Asyr FC, on the other hand, will be delighted with their victory. The Turkmen champions showed great resilience and quality to overcome East Bengal's early lead and secure a place in the next round of the AFC Champions League.