عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Saudi Al-Hilal Beats Iran's Nassaji with Hat-Trick in AFC Champions League

Al Hilal players celebrate winning the Asian Champions League last month. (SPA)
Al Hilal players celebrate winning the Asian Champions League last month. (SPA)
TT
TT

Saudi Al-Hilal Beats Iran's Nassaji with Hat-Trick in AFC Champions League

Al Hilal players celebrate winning the Asian Champions League last month. (SPA)
Al Hilal players celebrate winning the Asian Champions League last month. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal FC won over its Iranian host, Nasaji Mazandaran, with three clean goals in the match that brought them together on Tuesday at Azadi Stadium in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

The game was part of the second round of the “fourth” group of the AFC Champions League 2023-2024.

Serbian Aleksandar Mitrovic scored the first goal for Al-Hilal in the 18th minute, and Brazilian star Neymar Jr. netted in the 58th minute, before Saleh Al-Shehri had the third score in the 3rd minute of the injury time, SPA reported.

With this result, Al-Hilal raised its standing to share the top spot in Group 4 with Uzbekistan's Navbakhor, with four points each, while Nasaji's score froze at three points, in the third place.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

‘Unbelievable’ Odegaard Transforms Arsenal and Gets Saka Smiling Again

Soccer Football - Champions League - Sporting CP v Arsenal - Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal - November 26, 2024 Arsenal's Martin Odegaard Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
Soccer Football - Champions League - Sporting CP v Arsenal - Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal - November 26, 2024 Arsenal's Martin Odegaard Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
TT
TT

‘Unbelievable’ Odegaard Transforms Arsenal and Gets Saka Smiling Again

Soccer Football - Champions League - Sporting CP v Arsenal - Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal - November 26, 2024 Arsenal's Martin Odegaard Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
Soccer Football - Champions League - Sporting CP v Arsenal - Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal - November 26, 2024 Arsenal's Martin Odegaard Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

The goals are flying in again for Arsenal — and it just happens to coincide with the return from injury of Martin Odegaard.

Make that eight goals in two games since the international break for Arsenal after its 5-1 hammering of Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday, tying the English team’s heaviest ever away win in the competition.

Odegaard is back in Arsenal’s team after missing two months with an ankle injury. In that time, Mikel Arteta’s attack stuttered, with a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth and a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle dropping the Gunners well off the pace in the Premier League. There was also a 0-0 draw at Atalanta in the Champions League as well as a 1-0 loss to Inter Milan last month, when Odegaard made his comeback from injury as an 89th-minute substitute.

Since then, Arsenal hasn’t lost and the goals have returned. After a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday came the cruise in Lisbon — and Odegaard was at the heart of everything as Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end.

“He’s an unbelievable player,” Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka said of Odegaard. “The day he returned, there was a big smile on my face. You can see the chemistry we have. I hope he stays fit for the rest of the season.”

Odegaard was involved in the build-up to Arsenal’s first two goals against Sporting — scored by Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz — and was fouled to win the penalty converted by Saka in the 65th to restore Arsenal’s three-goal lead at 4-1.

Odegaard was seen flexing his leg after that but continued untroubled and was substituted in the 78th minute.

The last thing Arteta would want now is another injury to Odegaard as Arsenal attempts to reel in first-place Liverpool in the Premier League. Liverpool is already nine points ahead of fourth-place Arsenal after 12 games.