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Etisalat Pro League Round 17 Review

It was a weekend of shocks in the Etisalat Pro League as Round 17 saw some rather unexpected results. Al Ain’s lead at the top of the table was cut to six points as they suffered only their second defeat of the season, and second-placed Al Jazira took advantage of the reigning Champions’ slip-up with a victory to pile the pressure on in the title race. Meanwhile things are also hotting up at the other end of the table, with vital wins for Kalba and Dibba Al Fujairah leaving the three bottom sides all with the same points total of 10 at the close of the round. 

Thursday evening’s first game set the tone for a round of surprises, as second-from-bottom Kalba made the most of their home advantage to defeat 6th-placed Al Nasr 2-1. Kalba showed all the fight and spirit required of a team battling to escape relegation, and were well worth the three points as they outperformed their opponents. Al Nasr’s defeat meant they slipped further away from the top four, having surrendered 5th place to Al Shabab last week in their Round 16 head-to-head clash. The result leaves Al Nasr stuck on 25 points, whilst Kalba increased their total to 10.

The biggest upset of the round also came on Thursday evening at the Tahnoun Bin Mohamed Stadium, as top dogs Al Ain lost 1-0 to rock bottom Dibba Al Fujairah. Al Ain had seemingly been cruising towards retaining their championship title but Dibba’s defensive backs-to-the-wall performance threw a spanner in the works of the purple juggernaut, meaning that the meeting between Al Ain and Al Jazira in the next round has taken on an entirely new significance in the title race. Al Ain remain on 40 points, with Al Jazira just six points behind them, whilst Dibba’s win puts them level on 10 points with other relegation rivals Kalba and Al Shaab, and there is everything still to play for in the struggle for safety.

Having heard the news of Al Ain’s stutter in the early evening kick-off, Al Jazira gladly obliged in brushing aside Al Dhafra with a 4-1 victory at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium on Thursday night to close the gap on the top spot. However, the result was not enough to save Head Coach Paulo Bonamigo, who was relieved of his duties after the game to be replaced by Spaniard Luis Milla. The new manager inherits a side sitting in 2nd place with 34 points, and Al Dhafra are 11th on 15 points.

Completing Thursday night’s fixtures, Al Shabab overcame Al Ahli in a 2-0 win at the Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium. Despite the defeat Al Ahli remain 4th in the table with 30 points, but Al Shabab have crept up to just one point behind them on 29 as the two sides race for Champions League qualification.

Friday saw three further League fixtures to complete Round 17, with one of the early evening kick-offs ending in another win for Al Wahda as they beat Dubai 3-0 on their travels. Al Wahda are 7th with 24 points following the victory, and Dubai sit 9th on 19 points. Al Shaab failed to build on the progress they made last week in their bid for safety, as attack-minded Bani Yas proved too strong for the struggling side, defeating them 3-1 at the Khaled Bin Mohamed Stadium. Bani Yas are now third with 34 points – equal with Al Jazira and six off the top – whilst Al Shaab remain third from the bottom, equal on points with the two teams below them.

Concluding the proceedings in Round 17, new Head Coach Eid Baroot got off to a winning start as Al Wasl recorded a 4-2 win over Ajman at the Zabeel Stadium. After taking a 2-0 lead, Ajman fought back to peg the home side back at 2-2, but Al Wasl’s players did not allow their heads to drop and dug in to get the victory, which sees them increase their points tally to 20 and jump up a place to 8th. Meanwhile Ajman sit 10th with 15 points.