Video: Neves rescues Inzaghi and takes Al Hilal through to the King's Cup round of 16
The Portuguese star shines on the night of the most prestigious cup
Ruben Neves dragged Al-Hilal out of trouble on Monday night, firing them past Al-Raed and into the round of 16 of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup. The Boss laboured for long spells. Then the Portugal midfielder took over and settled it.
Al-Hilal met Al-Raed in the round of 32 and leaned heavily on Neves to see off their opponents. He broke the deadlock from the penalty spot, then returned in the closing minutes to add a superb second and send his side through to the next round.
Neves opens the scoring from the penalty spot
Neves opened the scoring for Al-Hilal from the penalty spot, stepping up with total assurance to extend his fine record from twelve yards and hand "the Boss" the lead.
The goal did little to ease their troubles. Al-Hilal never found the attacking rhythm expected of them and struggled to take a grip on the game, keeping Al-Raed's hopes of a comeback alive deep into the closing stages.
Up popped Neves again at just the right moment. He drilled home Al-Hilal's second in the 81st minute with a superb strike to settle the match and steer his side to safety, sparking wild celebrations from teammates and fans alike.
Neves rescues Inzaghi from a difficult night
Neves' goals carried a value beyond the result. Timing mattered too, especially as Al-Hilal looked lacklustre for long spells and fell short of the performance their fans expect under Italian coach Simone Inzaghi.
Had Al-Hilal stumbled against Al-Raed, the Italian coach would have faced fresh criticism. Neves spared him the worst of it, settling the tie at the right moment and handing his team the qualification ticket.
The win carried Al-Hilal through to the round of 16 in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup. Neves walked off as the night's decisive man, his two goals making the difference just when "the Boss" needed someone to save them from a result that could have opened a new door of criticism.
