Al Ain stated their AFC Champions League credentials in emphatic fashion as they outplayed Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-star Al Nassr side in a thrilling tournament opener in the Garden City.
Houssine Rahimi, a young Moroccan striker who is not even the most vaunted player in his own family let alone among the galaxy of stars on show here, was the standout performer.
A little over a week after he and his older brother, fellow Al Ain forward Soufiane, were mourning the death of their father, he lit up this encounter.
Houssine scored twice before being substituted to a rapturous ovation. Once the younger Rahimi had left the pitch, Soufiane added a third for the rampant hosts, and Georgios Giakoumakis later struck a fourth.
The Moroccan siblings headlined an outstanding display by the UAE champions. The expensively assembled guests could not live with them, much to the delight of the 17,433 crowd.
The ground was as packed as it was permitted to be. A portion of the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium had been closed off as punishment for fan unrest the last time Al Ain played in AFC competition.
It was unfortunate for them that the first game they had on their return to Asia’s top tier involved one of the biggest box-office stars in football history.
This might have been the penultimate chance for UAE-based fans to see Ronaldo in the flesh; Nassr also face Shabab Al Ahli in Dubai on the last day of the group stage in February.
Al Ain put on quite the show for his visit. As the sides emerged before kick off, behind the goal the hosts were defending they unveiled a huge tifo of an eagle on a throne, accompanied by the message: “Born to rule.”
Their opposition might be laden with stars, but there was no inferiority complex here. Al Ain attacked their illustrious guests from the off, and could have been ahead early on.
Houssine hit the post in the second minute. After it bounced out, Nassr immediately countered, and Ronaldo was given a run through on goal.
As he sped past Ramy Rabia, the Al Ain centre-back, he lost his balance. He tumbled to the ground, looking for a penalty, but Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev immediately rebuffed the appeals.
The start of the game was thrillingly open. The Rahimis were a constant goal threat, and they really should have scored when Soufiane under -hit a cross to Houssine.
After those two earlier sighters, Houssine finally did break the deadlock midway through the first half. He latched on to an errant pass by Saad Al Nasser, and fired his shot through the legs of goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aqidi.
It was no less than the UAE double winners deserved, and Houssine had the ball in the net again shortly after, only for it to be ruled out for offside.
Nasser’s struggles continued. The defender was shown a yellow card when his elbow caught the cheek of Valentin Lazaro, the Al Ain right wing-back, but at least he was spared a red after the referee reviewed the incident at the pitchside monitor.
Whether it was Nassr coach Ange Postecoglou giving them a rocket, or human nature that Al Ain would drop off and try to protect their lead, the Saudi Arabian side were brighter immediately after the break.
And yet they still found themselves two goals in arrears after Houssine added a second, after brilliant link-up play between Kaku and Matias Palacios.
After Soufiane added the third, Nassr became increasingly desperate. Ronaldo showed as much when he attempted a wildly ambitious overhead -kick, which ended harmlessly in the block of empty seats behind the goal.
Giakoumakis heaped further indignity on to Nassr when he rifled in the fourth.
Ronaldo had a chance at least for a consolation, but Khalid Essa, Al Ain's goalkeeper-captain, made a brilliant stop from a free-kick by the Portuguese striker.
