Ruben Neves scores trademark screamer for Al Hilal in AFC Champions League clash vs Sepahan

Ruben Neves has scored one of the goals of this season's AFC Champions League for Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal in their last 16 clash against Sepahan.

The 26-year-old Portuguese midfielder, who joined Al Hilal from Wolves last summer in a deal worth £47 million, found the net on Thursday night with a 30-yard screamer.

Iranian outfit Sepahan opened the scoring through Farshad Ahmadzadeh and an upset looked on the cards until Al Hilal took control of the match with 15 minutes remaining.

Salem Aldawsari levelled the scores for Jorge Jesus' side on his 400th appearances for the club before Neves beat goalkeeper Payam Niazmand with a strike out of the very top drawer.

Check out the ridiculous effort below:

Ruben Neves, take a bow! 🤯⚽️#ACL | #HILvSEP pic.twitter.com/b6UqxwfRUZ

— #ACL (@TheAFCCL) February 22, 2024

Another big-money signing Aleksander Mitrovic would put the game to bed in injury time to seal Al Hilal's place in the quarter-final of this season's AFC Champions League.

The current Saudi Pro League leaders are certainly one of the favourites considering the strength of their squad.

One of the club's biggest summer arrivals was Neves, who recently admitted his move to Saudi Arabia was motivated by money.

"Of course, one of the things is the money, of course, you cannot hide that," he told BBC Sport.

"But when we see the project, and I know that a lot of people think we say this just to say it, but it's not true."

Neves added: "When they present us the project, it's a very, very big project. I think people have no idea how the country is improving, how the football is improving and how the football can be in a few years.

"In one year, we did this. So I believe in two or three more years, it will be an amazing league.

When asked whether he would go on loan to Newcastle due to the Tyneside club's connections with the Saudi Pro League, Neves shut down the idea.

"I don't go. I think that's rumours because of the owner of the clubs of course and because I played in England as well," he added.

"There was a Newcastle interest before I came here, but I'm really happy here. My family are really happy, the kids as well."