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Al Nasr overcome Al Ahli 3-2 and deprive them from leadership

Al Nasr beat Al Ahli 3-2 in the concluding first day encounter of the Etisalat Cup sixth round held this evening at Rashid Stadium in Al Ahli Club. The winners avenged their last defeat from their traditional rivals before five days at Al Maktoum Stadium by the same margin. Al Nasr are taking 4th place in the second group with 7 points after depriving Al Ahli from the leadership of the group as they are classified in  3rd position with 10 points.

Both teams played a fast match of an offensive nature from the first minute when Graffiti scored the first goal for Al Ahli after receiving a pass from  the left flank, he penetrated into the box before launching a strong volley that went into the left hand side of Al Nasr goalkeeper Ahmed Mohammad. The goal did not affect the morals of Al Nasr players who played their best match and controlled the midfield zone with the help of the dynamic performance of the Brazilian Linardo Lima and Australian Mark Bresciano in addition to the work shown by Salim Khamis and Humaid Abdullah. Also the fast moves in the front line by Amara Diane and Younis Ahmed contributed to the loosening of Al Ahli defense which missed their Lebanese defender Yousuf Mohammad.

Diane leveled the score for the visiting team in the 35th minute and the defender Masoud made it 2-1 in the 60th minute off a perfect header. Al Nasr made things difficult for Al Ahli when Bresciano sent a dead ball inside the six yard area in the 71st minute which hit on the back of his teammate Hassan Ibrahim and changed its direction into the net for the third goal.

Al Ahli players did not lose hope but they went all out to reduce the deficit. They made some good efforts for Graffiti to pull one back in the 91st minute to end the game with a 3-2 for Al Nasr.