Brazilian star Neymar made his mark in Saudi Arabia as he scored his first goal since joining Al-Hilal from Paris St Germain. The Saudi Pro League side defeated Iran's Nassaji Mazandaran 3-0 in the Asian Champions League group phase at Tehran's Azadi Stadium. The match was filled with drama, as both teams were reduced to 10 men with seven minutes remaining in the first half. Al-Hilal's Aleksandar Mitrovic opened the scoring in the 18th minute, before referee Ma Ning sent off Al-Hilal's Salman Al Faraj and Nassaji's Amir Houshmand after reviewing the pitchside monitor. Neymar doubled Al-Hilal's lead with a well-timed left-foot strike in the 58th minute, while substitute Saleh Al Shehri sealed a comfortable win in injury time.
The victory marked Al-Hilal's first win in the group phase this season, after opening their campaign with a draw against Navbahor. However, they now sit at the top of Group D alongside Uzbek side Navbahor, who secured a 3-0 win over Mumbai City. Goals from Jamshid Iskanderov, Jasurbek Yakhshiboev, and Doniyor Abdumannopov contributed to Navbahor's win, putting them level on points with Al-Hilal.
In Group A, Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates took sole possession of the top spot with a 4-2 victory over Turkmenistan's Ahal. Meanwhile, Uzbek outfit Pakhtakor suffered a 2-0 loss against Al Fayha from Saudi Arabia. Al Ain impressed their home fans with a dominant attacking display, with Brazilian midfielder Erik scoring an early goal in the fourth minute. The team continued to build on their lead, with goals from Soufiane Rahimi and Kodjo Laba ensuring a three-goal advantage at halftime. Although Ahal's Elman Tagayew managed to pull one back in the 58th minute, Kouame Kouadio sealed the victory for Al Ain with a fourth goal.
Al Ain now have a three-point lead over both Ahal and Al Fayha in Group A. Al Fayha secured their win at home thanks to goals from Abdelhamid Sabiri in each half, while Pakhtakor struggled to find the back of the net.
In the Asian Champions League, the winners of each of the 10 four-team groups will secure their spot in the last 16. The remaining places will be filled by the three best runners-up from teams in both the eastern and western sides of the continent.