UAE Pro League 22/23 Champions, Shabab Al Ahli drop vital points in the race for second position. While, Al Wasl remain unbeaten with a comfortable home victory in round 17.
Al Wahda 3-3 Shabab Al Ahli
The game of the weekend in round 17. It was a chance for both teams to leapfrog Al Ain to second position in the standings.
Shabab Al Ahli scored two early goals, courtesy of Brazilian striker Igor Jesus.
Despite the champion’s initial dominance, Al Wahda’s Lucas Pimenta narrowed the margin with a well-timed header, seizing an opportunity from Allan Marques’ precise cross.
The momentum shifted dramatically when Ismaeil Matar unleashed a stunning strike from outside the box, equalizing the score for Al Wahda.
Then, the home crowd erupted when Omar Kharbin netted a crucial goal in the 91st minute, seemingly securing victory.
However, Shabab Al Ahli’s Munas Dabbur had other plans, snatching an equalizer in the 95th minute to force a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Al Wasl 3-0 Khorfakkan
Al Wasl cemented their position at the top of the UAE Pro League.
All three goals came in the second half. They were scored by Fabio Lima, Nicolas Gimenez and Siaka Sidibe.
The second half display showed Al Wasl’s quality as the home team were too much to handle.
The loss for Khorfakkan means they sit in 10th position, but remain clear of relegation for now.
Al Ain 1-1 Sharjah
It was another draw at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in round 17.
The first half was tight with few scoring chances for both teams, but things picked up after halftime.
Laba Kodjo broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute, rising above Sharjah’s defense to head in a superb cross from Bandar Al Ahbabi.
However, Al Ain’s lead didn’t last long as Caio set up M. Ben Alarbi, who scored the equalizer in the 56th minute.
The draw was enough for Al Ain to remain in second place.
Al Bataeh 3-2 Al Jazira
In a frantic mid-table clash, Al Jazira suffered a 3-2 defeat to Al Bataeh.
Despite Zayed al Ameri putting Jazira ahead in the 7th minute, Al Bataeh managed to equalize in the 26th minute, leveling the score at 1-1.
Then, in the 49th minute, the home team took the lead with a goal from Petrus Boumal.
Although Jazira managed to level the score once again in the 82nd minute, substitute Alvaro de Oliveira secured the win for Al Bataeh with a late strike in the 92nd minute.
The loss for Al Jazira adds pressure on Mirel Radoi, who moved from Al Bataeh to Al Jazira in January 2024.
UAE Pro League Results, round 17
UAE Pro League Standings, round 17
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