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Al Jazira beat Dubai 1-0 to stay on top of Group "A"

Al Jazira football team continued their successful march after beating visiting team Dubai with a solitary goal in their third round match of the Etisalat Cup played this evening at Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi to raise their tally to 9 points that put them on top of Group "A". With this result Dubai squad reamin on their previous position with three points prior to Al Wasl-Al Wahda game.

The two teams demonstrated a balanced performance in the first half creating a few number of scoring chances with AL Jazira controlling the major parts of this session. The visiting team played with five players in the midfield zone, four in the defense line with only the Moroccan striker Nabil AL Daoudi fighting in the front line. It was clear that Dubai team were planning to come out with a lone point. But the home squad Al Jazira played an attacking football trying to win the game and snatch more three points so as to keep their leadership of Group "A".

AL Jazira lost the first chance in the game via Bare only 20 minutes into the game. The Moroccan striker Nabil AL Daoudi came afterwards close to score with a lovely back kneel play, but the goalkeeper Khalid Saif saved brilliantly in the 23rd minute. The Australian player Locus Neil gave AL Jazira the lead after scoring his first goal in the competition with a shot that hit the bottom of the cross bar and crossed the goal line in the 38th minute to end the first session with a 1-0 lead for the hosts. AL Jazira continued their superiority over their opponents after the break with all the hope to add more goals. Dubai also made some good efforts trying to come back to the match, but both teams failed to make their dreams come true.

The winners played the last 20 minutes with ten players after Ibrahima Diaky was shown the red card after collecting his second yellow card. Dubai benefited much of this sent off to put more pressure on their rivals' defense, but they squandered all the chances that created in the last minutes, the most dangerous of which was Al Dauodi's perfect header that tipped by the goalie Khalid Saif off the cross bar.