The referee also caused a lot of controversy in this game, from the second half to the 55th minute, Neymar chose the penalty area, the ball was blocked and Zehba confiscated the attack. Neymar then frantically complained that the defender had committed a handball foul and should have given a free kick at the top of the box, but the referee was not moved. Slow-motion footage showed that Damac's defender did violate the handball, which was clearly a miscarriage of justice.
Riyadh Crescent have been poor overall, with a record of 5 wins, 2 draws and 17 points from as many games, two points ahead of Jeddah United and Jeddah National in first place. For Riyadh Crescent, the recent back-to-back battles have also had a big impact. The league and the AFC Champions League are in an almost continuous turnaround. Players have been on the pitch continuously and also traveling, which has sapped a lot of stamina and energy.
These top Riyadh Crescent strikers need to be more effective, such as Neymar and Mitrovic, including Dosari, who have proven to be superstars before, but they need to step up in the midst of their team's woes.
The Saudi league has been quite competitive this season and Riyadh Crescent has invested heavily, winning Neymar and other stars, having lost three finals this year, the AFC Champions League, the World Cup and the AFC Champions League, all of which were runners-up, Riyadh Crescent has made targeted signings in hopes of regaining the lost ground, and looking forward to what Neymar and others can do.
