After 368 days since suffering serious injury on international duty for Brazil, Neymar returned to action for Al Hilal in Al Ain.
The forward appeared as a second half substitute for the Saudi Pro League giants as they avenged their defeat to the same opposition last season in the AFC Champions League Elite.
Such was the wildness of the encounter between two of west Asia’s most historic clubs, Neymar’s return from his anterior cruciate ligament injury was merely one of the minor incidents of an extraordinary night.
Salem Al Dawsari and Soufiane Rahimi both struck hat-tricks as a sensational game ended 5-4 to Al Hilal at a pulsating Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
An encounter between these two sides always has the potential to be feisty. But even by their usual standards, this was something else.
So brilliant were Hilal last season, they only lost once in all competitions. Their lone conquerors were Al Ain. That semi-final fixture in last year’s Champion League was clearly still fresh in the memories of both teams.
The antagonism between the two clubs made for a fiery atmosphere straight from the off. In fact, long before it. Around half the seats were filled an hour before kickoff, and a roar boomed out from the corner where the travelling fans had their first glimpse of Neymar shortly after.
By kick off, the Hazza bin Zayed was full to 24,000, and the atmosphere crackled. Despite the star-studded opposition, Al Ain’s players were emboldened rather than cowed, and they made a rapid start.
Rahimi, their talisman, had a shout for a penalty in the fifth minute, when he was bundled over on the edge of the Hilal box. It was not given, and the visiting players and staff remonstrated with the referee, suggesting he should watch out for the Moroccan striker’s gamesmanship.
But Rahimi had been felled, and a defender landed on his head in the process, so it was understandable he required treatment.
A few moments later, he had the ball in the net, profiting from a mistake by Mohammed Al Yami, the inexperienced goalkeeper who was filling in for Yassine Bounou, Rahimi’s Morocco teammate, in goal for the visitors.
After Al Yami missed a through ball, Soufiane swept his shot into the empty Hilal net, but the goal was ruled out as the Al Ain striker had been offside when he started his run.
Despite the early onslaught from the home team, Hilal showed no signs of fretting. There is a reason they are 43 matches unbeaten in the Saudi Pro League.
It was they who opened the scoring when Renan Lodi, the left-back who played Uefa Champions League football for Atletico Madrid in the past and was signed for Marseille, shot past Khalid Eissa.
The home side rallied, and equalised when their own Brazil-born left-back, Erik, crossed for Rahimi to tap in from close range.
For all their attacking endeavour, the emotion of the occasion showed in the looseness of Al Ain’s defending. First, that came in the form of a header from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in injury time at the end of the first half which restore Hilal’s lead.
The towering Serbian midfielder had been entirely unmarked six yards out when he met Joao Cancelo’s cross.
As an indicator of how much drama there was, the first half lasted for 54 minutes. By the time the referee did eventually blow for the interval, Al Ain were 3-1 down. Al Dawsari, the Hilal captain, scored it, on a breakaway from an Al Ain corner.
As Neymar busied himself running through warm-ups on the touchline midway through the second half, Al Ain’s hopes were revived as Mateo Sanabria reduced the arrears with a tap in.
No sooner had that happened, though, Hilal helped themselves to a fourth. Milinkovic-Savic found space on the right, crossed for Al Dawsari, and the captain poked a shot in off the post.
By that stage, the game was resembling basketball as either side took turns to attack and score. Next, it was Rahimi’s turn to double his tally, bringing the score to 4-3.
Then, as Neymar was stood patiently next to the fourth official, ready to make his long awaited return, Al Daswari score the goal of the night to complete his hat-trick.
That did not end the mania. Neymar came on straight after, but, such was the action, barely anyone noticed. Before the great Brazilian had made a contribution of any note, Ali Al Bulayhi, Hilal’s cantankerous centre-back, had been sent off.
A hopeful through ball was launched over the Hilal defence. Al Bulayhi lost his bearings and Kodjo Laba, the forward he was trying to mark, and thrust his arm out to stop it reaching him. The referee initially awarded yellow, before upgrading it to red after reverting to the video review.
Al Ain refused to give in, and they struck a fourth when Rahimi completed his hat-trick from the spot after earning the penalty himself. Although Al Ain pushed on for a fifth that would have levelled the score, they could manage no more.
