The start of the post-Neymar era for Al Hilal went very much as it had for the previous 18 months. He was not here, and the big blue juggernaut just went rumbling on regardless.
In the first AFC Champions League Elite fixture since the ignominious departure of the Saudi Pro League’s most expensive ever player, Hilal destroyed Iran’s Persepolis.
Salem Al Dawsari thrilled the home fans with a fine, quick-fire double before half time. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves dominated the midfield. Joao Cancelo did whatever he fancied, which included scoring a goal. And the Kingdom Arena was rocking.
The 4-1 win restored them to the top of the western group of the continent’s top competition, above their Saudi rivals Al Ahli. It all felt very familiar for a side who are one of the most dominant in all of club football. Same old, same old.
Although this was different for one notable reason. In the ninth minute, a silkily skilled Brazilian who once played for Barcelona jinxed in from the flank, went on a mazy run, and finished with great style.
That never happened when Neymar was here. Only once did the costliest flop in football history score in his 18 months as a Hilal player. He only managed seven games in all in the year-and-a-half he spent in Riyadh after his big money move from Paris Saint-Germain.
His departure, to his old club in Brazil, Santos, has been barely mourned. Hilal have coped just fine without him, and they will likely continue to do so.
They were 4-0 up by half time. Malcom, the Brazilian whose previous spell at Barcelona was less celebrated than Neymar’s, opened the scoring with a fine run and finish in the ninth minute.
Cancelo doubled the advantage when his shot from range squirmed through the grasp of Alexis Guendouz, the Persepolis goalkeeper.
Al Dawsari, the much-loved captain of the home team, then helped himself to two trademark strikes before the break. First, he finished from a tight angle after a fine interchange of passes on the edge of the Persepolis box.
Then, just before the break, he fired a crisp drive into the top corner from just outside the box.
It was all so easy for the home team that Jorge Jesus, the manager, was able to shuffle his pack and keep his leading stars fresh for the coming challenges. Among a number of second-half changes, Al Dawsari, Milinkovic-Savic and Neves all earned a sit down.
All but approximately 10 of the 24,460 crowd were supporting the home team, and the fans worked through their full repertoire as the minutes ticked away.
The only blot on Hilal’s copybook came late on when they conceded a penalty, after a VAR review, and Yassine Bounou was beaten from the spot by Giorgi Gvelesiani, the Persepolis substitute.
