Neymar Scores First Goal in Fifth Appearance for Al-Hilal

Neymar scored his first goal for Al-Hilal in his fifth appearance as the Saudi Arabian club secured a 3-0 victory over Nassaji Mazandaran in Tehran during an Asian Champions League match.

Al-Hilal, a four-time continental champion, demonstrated its strength against the Iranian hosts at the Azadi Stadium. Aleksandar Mitrovic, who joined from Fulham in the English Premier League this summer, opened the scoring after 10 minutes.

Neymar, who had previously missed a penalty in a Saudi Pro League match, silenced the crowd two minutes before the hour mark by scoring from the edge of the area. Saleh Al-Shehri added a third goal in added time.

The victory propelled Al-Hilal to the top of Group D with four points in the Asian Champions League.

Neymar had faced hostility from home fans in Tehran, with cans and bottles thrown at him, possibly in response to his social media comments criticizing the stadium's field conditions. Despite this, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar delivered an impressive performance.

The win places Al-Hilal in a strong position in their group, with hopes of advancing further in the competition.

In a separate development, fellow Saudi Arabian team Al-Fayha defeated Pakhtakor 2-0 in Group A, with Abdelhamid Sabiri from Morocco scoring both goals. Japanese champion Yokohama F. Marinos secured a 1-0 win against China's Shandong Taishan, while South Korean champion Ulsan Hyundai lost 1-0 to Japan's Kawasaki Frontale.

It's worth noting that on the previous day, Al-Ittihad, another Saudi team, refused to play against Sepahan and returned to Jeddah in what appeared to be a protest against pitchside busts of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who commanded Iran's elite Quds Force and was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in January 2020. The Asian Football Confederation stated that the match was canceled due to "unanticipated and unforeseen circumstances."

SportsLigue