Football

Brazilian superstar Neymar made his long-awaited return to the pitch on Monday after more than a year on the sidelines. The 32-year-old forward, now playing for Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, came on as a second-half substitute in his team's thrilling 5-4 victory over Asian champions Al Ain in the UAE.Neymar had not played since rupturing his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty in October 2022. He underwent surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process, but is now back in action and eager to regain his top form.The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker is Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer, with 79 goals in 128 appearances. He is expected to play a key role for Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League and the Asian Champions League.Neymar was named on the Hilal bench for the first time since his injury and was introduced on 76 minutes of the Asian Champions Elite encounter at a packed Hazzan Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain. By then, Hilal were leading 5-3, thanks to goals from Renan Lodi, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and a hat-trick from Salem Al Dawsari.Neymar cannot be registered for the Saudi top-flight until January, but Hilal coach Jorge Jesus is keen to get him match fit as soon as possible. "I need to prepare Neymar with games; that's the only possible means to bring him to his level, which was the idea today," Jesus said."There are some risks for the team because we need to use the games to prepare him, but it's the only way to have one of our important players back at the highest level," the Portuguese boss added.On Monday, Hilal took the lead on 26 minutes when Aleksandar Mitrovic played in Lodi down the left, and the ex-Atletico Madrid full-back drilled a low shot past Khalid Essa in the Al Ain goal. However, Hernan Crespo's side drew level six minutes before half-time when Morocco international Soufiane Rahimi slid home a cross.In first-half stoppage-time, Hilal seemed to take the contest away from their UAE rivals. First, Joao Cancelo, a summer signing from Manchester City, crossed for Milinkovic-Savic to head home unmarked from six years. Moments later, reigning Asian Player of the Year Al Dawsari raced cleared of the Al Ain defence, skipped around the onrushing Essa and curled home superbly on the angle.Al Ain reduced the deficit just after the hour through substitute Mateo Sanabria, only for Al Dawsari to flick home his second of the night from a Milinkovic-Savic centre. Minutes later, Rahimi notched his double as a see-saw clash took another swing. Al Dawsari then restored Hilal's two-goal advantage with a sublime strike from range.Not long into 12 minutes of the allotted injury-time, and with Hilal reduced to 10 men after defender Ali Al Bulaihi was sent off for an intentional handball, Rahimi won and converted a penalty to secure his hat-trick and give Al Ain hope, but the Saudi champions hung on to claim the win.Neymar had little time to truly impact the game, although he did flash wide an effort in the dying moments of normal time. Hilal sit top of the Western region group, with three victories from three while Al Ain have picked up a solitary point.

Cristiano Ronaldo's absence from Al Nassr's Asian Champions League opener against Al Shorta in Iraq has cast a shadow over the tournament's launch. The Portuguese superstar, who joined the Saudi Arabian club in January, was diagnosed with a viral infection on Sunday and will miss the match.Ronaldo's absence is a significant blow to Al Nassr's hopes of winning the Asian Champions League, a trophy that has eluded him throughout his illustrious career. The 39-year-old forward has been in impressive form since joining the Saudi Pro League, scoring five goals in four appearances.Al Nassr will be hoping to bounce back from Ronaldo's absence and make a strong start to their Champions League campaign. The Saudi Arabian club has invested heavily in recent years, bringing in high-profile players such as Ronaldo and Brazilian winger Talisca.The Asian Champions League has undergone a major revamp this year, with the introduction of a new format that splits the 24 teams into two groups of East and West. Each team will play eight different opponents in the group stage, with the top eight teams from each zone advancing to the last 16.The final stages of the tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia from April 25 to May 4, with the winners taking home at least $12 million. Al Nassr, Al Ahli, and Neymar's Al Hilal are among the favorites to win the tournament.Despite Ronaldo's absence, Al Hilal remains a formidable force. The Saudi Arabian champions have signed Portugal full-back Joao Cancelo from Manchester City and boast a star-studded squad that includes Sadio Mane, Aymeric Laporte, and Marcelo Brozovic.The defending champions, Al Ain, will also be looking to make a strong title defense. The United Arab Emirates club, coached by Argentina great Hernan Crespo, defeated Japan's Yokohama F-Marinos in last year's final.In the East zone, clubs from Japan have been the most successful in recent years. Yokohama F-Marinos, Kawasaki Frontale, and Vissel Kobe will all be hoping to challenge for the title. South Korea's Pohang Steelers and Ulsan are also among the contenders.The Asian Champions League is set to provide plenty of excitement and drama, with some of the world's best players on display. Despite Ronaldo's absence, the tournament promises to be a thrilling spectacle.

Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal has etched its name in football history by setting a new world record for consecutive victories. The Riyadh-based club extended its winning streak to an astonishing 28 matches, surpassing the previous record of 27 held by Welsh team The New Saints.Al Hilal's remarkable run culminated in a 2-0 triumph over fellow Saudi side Al Ittihad in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League. The victory propelled them into the semi-finals with a 4-0 aggregate score.The match was a tense affair, with Al Ittihad posing a significant threat despite missing key players like Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante. However, Al Hilal's resilience and attacking prowess proved too much for their opponents.Yasser Al Shahrani broke the deadlock in the 61st minute, capitalizing on a pass from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. Brazilian forward Malcom sealed the victory deep into injury time, securing a memorable night for the Riyadh giants.Al Hilal's dominance has been evident throughout their Champions League campaign, as they have won their last nine matches. They are also the most successful team in the competition's history, having lifted the trophy four times.Meanwhile, South Korea's Ulsan also advanced to the semi-finals with a 1-0 victory over Jeonbuk Motors. Seol Young-woo's first-half volley proved decisive in a tense encounter between the two K-League powerhouses.Ulsan's victory brings them closer to a place in next year's expanded Club World Cup, which will feature 32 teams in the United States. They will face either Japan's Yokohama F-Marinos or China's Shandong Taishan in the semi-finals.

Cristiano Ronaldo's debut in the Asian Champions League ended in disappointment as his new club, Al-Nassr, was eliminated in the quarterfinals on Monday. Despite a valiant effort in the second leg, Al-Nassr fell short in a penalty shootout against Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates.Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in January on a lucrative contract, scored a penalty in the 118th minute to level the aggregate score at 4-4. However, he was the only home player to convert in the shootout, as Al-Ain prevailed 3-1.Al-Nassr had responded to a 1-0 first-leg defeat by winning the return match 4-3 in Riyadh. Soufiane Rahimi, who scored the only goal in the first leg, gave Al-Ain a 3-0 advantage overall with two goals in the first half.But Al-Nassr fought back, with Abdulrahman Ghareeb and an own goal from Al-Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa bringing the hosts level. Alex Telles then scored with 18 minutes remaining to force extra time.Al-Ain regained the lead through Sultan Al Shamsi, but Ronaldo's penalty kept Al-Nassr's hopes alive. In the shootout, however, Marcelo Brozovic, Telles, and Otavio all failed to score, handing Al-Ain a place in the semifinals.Ronaldo, who missed several chances in regulation, expressed his frustration after the match. "I'm disappointed with the result," he said. "We had our chances, but we didn't take them. We have to learn from this and come back stronger."Al-Ain will face another Saudi Arabian team, Al-Hilal, in the semifinals. Al-Hilal holds a 2-0 lead over two-time champion Al-Ittihad heading into their second leg on Tuesday.In the eastern zone, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Ulsan HD meet on Tuesday. The South Korean teams are 1-1 after the first leg. Yokohama F.Marinios of Japan has a 2-1 advantage over China's Shandong Taishan in the other quarter.

Cristiano Ronaldo's return from suspension could not prevent Al-Nassr from suffering a 1-0 defeat to Al-Ain in the first leg of their Asian Champions League quarterfinal on Monday.A first-half goal from Moroccan forward Soufiane Rahimi proved decisive for Al-Ain, who will take a slender advantage into the return leg in Riyadh next Monday.Ronaldo, who missed Al-Nassr's previous Saudi Pro League match as punishment for an alleged offensive gesture, was unable to inspire his team to victory.Despite going close with an overhead kick in the early stages, Ronaldo was largely kept quiet by the Al-Ain defense. He attempted a spectacular lob from the halfway line in the closing moments, but it sailed just wide of the post.Al-Ain, coached by former Argentine striker Hernan Crespo, had two goals ruled out for offside, while Al-Nassr finished the game with 10 men after Aymeric Laporte was sent off for violent conduct in stoppage time."We are only halfway through, and while going to the next round is going to be difficult, we still have 90 minutes at home," said Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro.The winner of the tie will face Saudi opposition in the semifinals, with Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal set to meet in the other quarterfinal in the western zone on Tuesday.