Even without Neymar, Mumbai City’s Al Hilal tie is ‘one of the biggest in Indian history'

When Mumbai City were drawn in the same group as Al Hilal ahead of the new Asian Champions League season, their players responded with such joy it went viral in cyberspace.

Neymar was on his way to the Riyadh side, as well as a host of other big-name stars, as Saudi football was in the process of shaking up the sport's established order.

The challenge for the Mumbai side of toppling a giant was going to be laced with even more stardust.

Now the plum fixture in Group D is upon them, with the sides set to meet at King Fahd International Stadium on Monday night, but the Indian champions will be deprived of the chance to pit themselves against Hilal’s headline act.

Neymar is set to be sidelined for months having ruptured his cruciate ligament while on international duty for Brazil last week.

And yet the game is still a mouthwatering one, according to Des Buckingham, the Mumbai City coach.

“To pull out Al Hilal, the most successful side in this competition, is a real challenge,” Buckingham said.

“As a player and coach, you want to challenge yourself against the best. This certainly is the biggest game of football in our club’s history. I would argue that it could be one of the biggest games at club level in India’s history.”

Neymar might have been the most eye-catching signing, but Hilal’s summer spending also landed them the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Ruben Neves.

“Look at the disparity between the two clubs,” Buckingham said. “For example, the goalkeeper, Yassine Bono, is valued at twice as much as our actual squad.

“Our players have grown up watching many of these players, both from Saudi but certainly some of the foreign players who have recently come in. They have grown up watching them through