Tuesday cover: Al Ahli’s gain is more pain for Al Jazira

The National's Sport cover for the Tuesday, December 1 issue, featuring Al Ahli as they added to the misery for Al Jazira this season.

Ahli, fresh off their run to the Asian Champions League final, dominated their Abu Dhabi counterparts in Dubai.

John McAuley writes of the domineering performance by Ahli:

“The Arabian Gulf League’s most expensive signing, a striker with 17 goals in 17 appearances and the division’s only 100 per cent record.

“Even Ahmed Khalil, the newly anointed best player in Asia, was used as a substitute. How good is it to be Al Ahli right now?

“The Dubai club, runners-up this month in the Asian Champions League, have emphatically consigned that to the past, dispatching Al Jazira 4-1 at the Rashid Stadium on Monday night to make it two domestic victories in four days.

“Their recent rude health means Ahli consolidated second spot in the table, but closed to within one point of Al Ain at the summit. Crucially, they still have two games in hand on the champions. Intriguingly, the two meet this Saturday.”

And of the deflating affair for Jazira:

“The visitors, viewed as title challengers at the season’s onset, never mustered much fight and have now gone nearly 11 weeks without a win. They languish 11th in the standings, too.”