Al Ahli make up for Asian Champions League disappointment with win over Al Shabab

Al Ahli win 2-1 to move second in Arabian Gulf League and maintain 100 per cent record in this season’s competition, writes John McAuley.

Al Ahli, in red, played in their first game since their 1-0 defeat in the second leg of the Asian Champions League final at Guangzhou last week. Hasan Alraesi / Al Ittihad

Al Shabab 1

Alves 18’ (pen)

Al Ahli 2

Lima 30’, 58’ (pen)

Man of the match Rodrigo Lima (Al Ahli)

DUBAI // Five days after the Great Disappointment and everything seems rosy at Al Ahli again.

Defeated by the narrowest of margins in the Asian Champions League final in China on Saturday, the Dubai club made the shorter trip on Thursday to neighbours Al Shabab and departed the derby with the spoils.

With it, Ahli moved second in the Arabian Gulf League and maintained their 100 per cent record in this season’s competition. Even Rodrigo Lima was back, having endured a three-match goal drought that, given his lightning start in the UAE, had been depicted as some sort of mini-crisis. Imagine.

READ ALSO: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed awards Al Ahli players cash prize after Asian Champions League exploits

However, two goals reversed the score-line and secured the points at the Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium, Ahli coming from behind after Jo Alves put Shabab in front with an 18th-minute penalty. The spot-kick was correctly awarded, because Ahli’s stand-in defender Mohammed Sabeel had raked his studs across Hassan Ibrahim’s knee.

Lima responded with a dead-ball double of his own, first curling a free-kick into the Shabab goal on the half hour, then converting a penalty just before the clock reached 60 minutes. This time, Majed Hassan had been caught by Manei Mohammed’s outstretched leg. In scoring twice, Lima now has 16 goals in 16 matches since his summer transfer from Benfica.

A fiery encounter threatened to boil over thereafter, with a slew of yellow cards and Cosmin Olaroiu, the Ahli coach, sent to the stands. Alves also had an equaliser disallowed eight minutes from time, straying just offside before meeting Henrique Luvannor’s cross.

Once the dust settled, though, the visitors had sealed a vital victory. Given what went before it last weekend, Ahli displayed commendable mettle. Their continental dream may be dead, but their bid for domestic dominance remains very much alive and kicking.

Man of the match

Rodrigo Lima, Al Ahli Captain on the night in Ahmed Khalil's absence, the Brazilian led the line well, scoring two goals, but it was his leadership that impressed most.

Was always an outlet for his team and topped off the performance with two telling contributions.

What managers said

Caio Junior, Shabab coach: "Their penalty, I don't believe. I checked the television many times, but I don't believe. Why did the referee give this penalty? Why? It was clear Manny didn't touch him.

“We lost the game because the referee gave a penalty that wasn’t clear. We deserve to draw or win this game.”

Catalin Raducan, Ahli assistant manager: "It's a very, very important victory for us against a very, very good team.

“Also it’s important because we’ve come after the Champions League and everybody was affected after we lose the final. We played the worst first half this season, but I know it’s not easy, psychologically, to pass after losing the final of Asian Champions League.”

The National’s verdict

This was all about Ahli’s ability to bounce back from their Champions League blow. They did just enough to win to help refocus on the domestic league and sit one point off the summit, with two matches in hand on their title rivals.

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