Hatta 2 Al Ain 3
Hatta: Shirook 82', Goncalves (pen) 90'
Al Ain: Douglas 28', Caio 31', Al Ajmani (OG) 80'
Man of the match: Caio (Al Ain)
After spending the past few months playing catch-up, Al Ain are now officially the team to catch.
The Garden City club, racked with suspensions and ravaged by injuries, were still excellent for the majority in their rescheduled Arabian Gulf League clash at Hatta on Tuesday, claiming a 3-2 victory and climbing to the top of the table.
Not yet statistically halfway through the campaign, thanks to the backlog from their run to the Asian Champions League final, Al Ain have quietly assumed pole position, ahead by a solitary point. Placed on what they perceive to be their rightful perch, it should worry those title rivals below.
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Truth be told, Hatta provided little to worry the visitors. The tone was set from the off at the Hatta Stadium, despite Al Ain having to employ midfielder Lee Myung-joo as a makeshift centre-back in Ismail Ahmed’s absence and striker Saeed Al Kathiri given a rare start since Danilo Asprilla and Mohammed Abdulrahman are both serving bans.
Almost from the first minute, Zlatko Dalic’s side signalled their intent, settling quickly into their stride and setting sights on a heavy triumph. For their part, Hatta played the perfect hosts, exactly the sort of opponents Al Ain required to bounce back from last Thursday’s President’s Cup exit.
It was exactly what Douglas needed, too. The Brazilian frontman has been much maligned, with speculation rife he will soon be replaced, and Dalic conceded last week his forward is suffering a crisis in confidence. However, against Hatta Douglas displayed enough belief to open the scoring just before the half-hour.
A matter of moments after forcing home goalkeeper Obid Raihan to tip a long-range shot onto his crossbar, Douglas directed his header from Bandar Al Ahbabi’s expert cross down into the ground and into the net. Having got his gloves to the ball, Raihan really should have kept it out.
Nevertheless, it was Douglas’s sixth league goal of the 2016/17 season.
Within three minutes, Al Ain were two up. This time, Caio stepped in from the right and unleashed a low, left-footed drive that flew inside the Hatta post. The winger should have had his second soon after, but the referee’s assistant flagged for offside. Television replays showed Caio was clearly onside.
The second half continued much like the first. Al Ain dominated possession and chances, with Caio firing over from range, Al Kathiri testing Raihan with a fierce effort, and Doulas firing wide somehow when right in front of the Hatta goal.
In fact, it took an own goal for Al Ain to extend their lead. Ten minutes from time, Caio’s low cross was missed by Al Kathiri but inadvertently turned across the line by Khamis Al Ajmani, the Hatta captain.
The home side did have something to cheer late on, though, when substitute Essa Shirook finished well and Samuel Goncalves scored a penalty once Lee had barged Abdullah Almulla inside the Al Ain box.
Yet it mattered little. Twelve matches in, and with a game in hand over everyone bar second-placed Al Jazira, Al Ain remain the league’s only unbeaten side.
Thanks to an easy evening’s work in Hatta, they are also now officially the team to beat.
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