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Al Jazira win Abu Dhabi derby 2-0 to move into second

Al Jazira climbed up one place in the Etisalat Pro League standings tonight after beating Abu Dhabi - derby rivals Al Wahda 2-0 in Round 13 match at the Al Nahyan Stadium. The losers are sitting in their previous 7th position with a record of 18 points prior to tomorrow’s matches.


Skipper Ibrahim Diaky opened the scoring for the visitors in the fifth minute, while Ali Mabkhout doubled their advantage with an early second half goal. Al Jazira are now one point ahead of third-placed Al Ahli with 27 points but trail Pro League leaders Al Ain, who will  face Al Nasr on Sunday, by four points.
Al Jazira went clear in as early as the fifth minute after the team’s captain Ibrahim Diaky smashed in a volley from left-back Abdullah Mousa's cross.

Hosts Al Wahda did their best to get back into the game, but moments later striker Saeed Al Kathiri was denied by an outstretched Al Jazira goalkeeper Khaled Essa, who dove to block his low effort from restoring equilibrium.

And after Al Wahda winger Mohammed Al Shehhi was denied, striker Papa Waigo had the ball stolen off him by Tawfeeq Abdulrazaq while in a good position.

Al Jazira could have doubled their advantage in the 25th, but Matias Delgado's effort was blocked on the line by central defender Essa Ahmed.

At the other end, Al Kathiri deprived himself of a chance to get on the score sheet by pushing weakly at goal, an effort that was kept out easily by Al Jazira goalkeeper Khaled Essa, who a little later blocked a venomous close-range volley from Waigo.

Al Jazira returned the stronger of the two sides for the second half and got that second goal early on when Ali Mabkhout pounced on the rebound from Luiz Fernando Da Silva's stinging drive which had been blocked by Al Wahda goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani.

Al Wahda could have pulled one back in the 64th minute, but striker Marcelo Oliveira da Silva missed a sitter in the 64th  when he was put face-to- face with goalkeeper Khalid Essa, his chip from a tight angle on the right flashing across the goal mouth.

Luiz Fernando da Silva should have made it 3-0 to Al Jazira in the 76th, but shot straight into Al Wahda goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani after sprinting his way into the box.