Neymar return overshadowed as Al-Dawsari's hat-trick seals Al-Hilal win

HONG KONG, Oct 21 (Reuters) - In an intense match in the Asian Champions League Elite on Monday, Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal triumphed over defending champions Al-Ain with a thrilling score of 5-4. Salem Al-Dawsari's impressive hat-trick stole the spotlight during a game filled with events, overshadowing Neymar's comeback to competitive play.

Neymar, out of action since he tore his cruciate ligament last October, came on as a substitute in the 77th minute. His team in the Saudi Pro League managed to overcome Al-Ain, reversing their semi-final defeat from last season, even though they finished the game with just 10 players.

The victory maintains Al-Hilal's position at the forefront of the league rankings in West Asia after three rounds, accumulating a total of nine points. They are now joined by another Saudi team, Al-Ahli, who secured their place with a 2-1 victory against Qatar's Al-Rayyan.

Gabri Veiga found the back of the net straight from a corner kick, putting Al-Ahli ahead in the 16th minute. Just seven minutes before halftime, Feras Al-Brikan extended their lead with a header. However, an own goal by Fahad Al-Hamad had his team on edge as they fought to maintain their slim advantage for the last 25 minutes of the game.

Qatar's Al-Sadd secured their second victory of the season, bringing their total to seven points after Matheus Uribe scored the only goal in the first half against Iran's Persepolis. Meanwhile, Iraq's Al-Shorta and Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor ended their match in a scoreless tie.

Al-Hilal secured their third straight victory in the tournament with a narrow win over their opponents in an action-packed match at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, where both Al-Dawsari and Soufiane Rahimi from Al-Ain delivered impressive hat-tricks.

"We scored plenty of goals and created numerous opportunities, and despite finishing the match with one fewer player, we still came out on top. This is a significant victory for us," stated Al-Hilal forward Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Al-Hilal went ahead in the 26th minute when Renan Lodi scored with a low shot. However, Rahimi equalized with just six minutes remaining in the first half, finding the net from a short distance.

Nevertheless, just before the end of regular time, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored with a header, which was soon followed by a shot from a tight angle by Al-Dawsari. This gave the away team a comfortable two-goal lead at halftime.

Substitute Mateo Sanabria scored a goal for Al-Ain 18 minutes into the second half, but Al-Dawsari quickly responded, netting another goal just 90 seconds later.

Rahimi scored his second goal in the 67th minute, but Al-Dawsari's shot seemed to seal the game with just 15 minutes remaining. This allowed Jorge Jesus to bring Neymar onto the field for the first time since he tore his cruciate ligament last year.

Nonetheless, Ali Al-Bulahyi received a red card for handling the ball just outside the penalty area, increasing the pressure on Al-Hilal. Rahimi then secured his hat trick by scoring from the penalty spot six minutes into stoppage time after Khalifah Al-Dawsari brought him down.

With this outcome, Al-Hilal remains unbeaten after three matches, while Al-Ain is still searching for their first victory in the newly updated tournament format. In this format, the top eight teams from the league stage in both Eastern and Western Asia will progress to the knockout rounds.