Al Tai and Al Hilal will take on each other in the King Cup of Champions competition round of 16 on Tuesday. Al Hilal will be boosted by the return of superstar Neymar, who featured against Al Ain in the AFC Champions League Elite recently. The forward made a short cameo and appeared like he was never out so long, providing a goalscoring chance and himself coming close to finding the back of the net. However, the forward was not in the squad to face Al Taawoun in the subsequent match as his side beat the visitors 2-0 in the Saudi Pro League match. However, his absence was for the reason that the player has yet to register for the league matches.
Due to his lengthy recovery period, Al Hilal decided to not register the forward. They rather included another foreign player in his slot. Brazilian Renan Lodi, who took the No. 10 shirt, was included in place of Neymar. Neymar will only be registered in January when the transfer window opens. Until then he will miss out on league matches. However, that won’t prevent them from playing him in other tournaments such as the AFC Champions League and Kings Cup. Hence, the Brazilian can play for the Saudi side in the King Cup of Champions tonight.
Neymar has barely played this season with an ACL injury keeping him out for an entire season. Neymar will be eligible to play in the King Cup of Champions and other competitions. He only cannot participate in the league matches because he has not been registered yet by the club as they felt his injury would take time to heal which saw them register another Brazilian. The player who missed out on the league game against Al Taawoun will be eager to play his second game after his return form a lengthy injury. He will be looking to build on the short cameo against Al Ain and will be looking to bag more minutes on the pitch against Al Tai tonight.
Al Tai vs Al Hilal: Team News and Injury Updates
Al Tai will lock horns against Al Hilal in the King Cup of Champions on Tuesday evening. The home team are currently placed in the sixth spot in Division 1, which is the second division in Saudi Arabia. In seven matches they have won three, drawn twice and lost twice. Overall they are a decent team who are great in transitions. Facing Al Hilal at home for the Round of 16 fixture will be a big task for the home team. They will have to give their all on the pitch to get something positive from the match.
On the other hand, the Blues Waves recently defeated Al Ain in a thrilling 4-5 in AFC Champions League Elite away from home. Their star player Neymar Jr is also back from injury and they are at the top of the table in the Saudi Pro League. In seven matches they have won all seven and have 21 points on the table. Just like last season this season as well they are consistently playing good football and getting positive results. Despite being the away team they are the favourites to win this Knockout fixture.
Al Tai Team News
The home team don’t have any injury concerns and all players are fit for the match.
Al Hilal Team News
Yassine Bounou is still doubtful for this upcoming fixture and Neves is also out for 3-4 weeks due to a knee injury. The rest of the players are fit and will be available for the match. It will be interesting to see if Neymar is involved in the match after missing the last match.
Al Tai vs Al Hilal: Head-to-Head
Matches: 12 Al Tai: 2 Al Hilal: 9 Draws: 1
Al Tai vs Al Hilal: Probable Lineups
Al Tai
Al Shammeri (GK); Qassem, Sultan, Nakhli, Whaesi; Juwaid, Tandia, Majrashi, Banda, Harthi; Cordea
Al Hilal
Al Yami (GK); J Cancelo, Koulibaly, Bulaihi, Lodi; Savic, Kanno, Dawsari; Malcom, Mitrovic, Al-Dawsari
Al Tai vs Al Hilal: Prediction
Al Hilal are a much better side than Al Tai. Despite playing at home Al Tai will face a big challenge when they face the Blue Waves. Al Hilal are in great form and have all their star players available for the match. This will be an easy fixture for the current Saudi Pro League champions and they will win this match in a dominating fashion.
Prediction: Al Tai 0-4 Al Hilal
Why Neymar’s Return is Important
Neymar Jr. grabbed headlines as he featured for Al Hilal in the 5-4 win over Al Ain in the AFC Champions League Elite on 21st October, marking his return to football after a year-long absence. Once touted to be Lionel Messi’s successor at FC Barcelona, Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer has frequently struggled with injuries that have marred his illustrious career.
Neymar was ruled out of action after suffering a cruciate ligament injury on 19th October last year. The winger had previously undergone surgery for an equally grave ankle injury which he sustained in the Selecao’s 2022 FIFA World Cup win over Serbia. While niggling issues saw him feature sporadically for Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal over the next year, a knock to his knee saw him sidelined till a week back.
However, the Brazilian trickster was back to his scintillating best against last year’s AFC Champions League winners, showcasing glimpses of his trademark flair and aplomb, which nearly saw him get on the scoresheet following a swift counterattack by Al Hilal. A hard-fought win saw the Blue Waves top the West Asian group standings.
While Neymar looked fit to feature for Al Hilal against Al Taawoun, he was not named in the matchday squad for the match. Manager Jorge Jesus was likely looking to ease the Brazilian back into action. He wouldn’t want to risk losing the iconic attacker, especially since Al Hilal are comfortably perched at the top of the Saudi Pro League with a staggering 21 points after getting seven wins from seven games. Although eighth-placed Al-Tawoon are not to be taken lightly, Neymar’s side can etch out a good performance without his presence throughout the game.
Neymar could start on the bench and be brought on late, in their upcoming match. Given the former PSG forward’s susceptibility to injury, Al Hilal must allow him time to recuperate and get back to full-match fitness before he plays 90 minutes.
Additionally, the winger’s contributions will be more crucial during the final run-in of the season as the Blue Power will want to defend their league title and get their hands on the AFC Champions League Elite. Amidst all this, reports have also surfaced suggesting a possible reunion with Messi at Inter Miami.
It remains to be seen if the fairytale move will at all go through, but for now the Brazilian has his sights set on achieving the highest accolades with Al Hilal. Neymar has registered three assists and one goal for his side over five appearances in both competitions since joining the Saudi outfit on 15th August last year.
The 2024 King’s Cup of Champions is the biggest tournament after the Saudi Pro League and will be closely followed by fans worldwide. The competition is an important event for the teams and is expected to be fiercely contested, with Al-Hilal looking to secure a win and move closer to the title. Neymar’s presence will be a major boost for his team, providing them with an edge over their opponents. Al-Hilal fans will be hoping for a successful outing for their star player as they aim for victory.
