Neymar returns for Al Hilal in Al Ain thriller

Al Ain, UAE: Brazil superstar Neymar returned to action on Monday following more than a year out, with the Al Hilal forward appearing as a second half...

Al-Ain, UAE: Brazil superstar Neymar returned to action on Monday following more than a year out, with the Al Hilal forward appearing as a second-half substitute in his side's gripping 5-4 win against Asian champions Al Ain in the UAE.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker, 32, had not played since rupturing his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty in October last year.

Neymar, who underwent surgery and a sustained period of rehabilitation, is his country's all-time leading goalscorer, with 79 goals in 128 appearances.

Named on the Hilal bench for the first time since his injury, he was introduced on 76 minutes of the Asian Champions Elite encounter at a heaving Hazzan Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain.

By then, the record four-time Asian champions, who lead the current Saudi Pro League, were 5-3 up, thanks to goals from Renan Lodi and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and a Salem Al Dawsari hat-trick.