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Al Shabab overcome Al Ahli to share leadership with Al Jazira, Al Wasl and Al Ain

Al Shabab jumped to fourth position in the Etisalat Pro- League to share leadership with Al Jazira, Al Wasl and Al Ain on goal difference as each team have collected seven points after overcoming Al Ahli with a 2-0 win in the concluding  match of the third round held tonight at Maktoum Bin Rashid Stadium in Al Shabab's Club. Al Ahli remain in their previous balance with three points taking ninth place.
Al Shabab revenged for their last Wednesday's defeat in the first leg of the GCC Champions League, in which Al Ahli beat them 3-2 at their home pitch. The second leg game will be played next Thursday at Al Shabab's play ground.
The winners finished the second half of today's match with only nine players after the referee showed Hassan Ibrahim and Walid Abbas the red card in the 62nd and 91st minutes respectively as both players received two yellow cards.
Walid Abbas opened the score for the hosts only nine minutes into play off a stand ball sent by Uzbek player Haydarov Azizbek inside the box area. The ball passed all Al Ahli's defenders who failed to clear it away for the advancing Walid Abbas to drive it home with a header into the right hand side of Al Ahli's keeper Yousuf Abdullah.
Al Ahli went all out looking for the equalizer and made dangerous attacks via Jiminez and Ismail Al Hamadi, but their colleague Faisal Khalil failed to score as he was marked firmly by Al Shabab's defenders Waleed abbas, Esam Dhahi, Mohammad Marzooq and Sami Anbar who played brilliantly along with their goalkeeper Salim Abdullah.
The 64th minute was a turning point in the game when the winners' goalkeeper Salim Abdullah saved a penalty kick played by Brazilian Graffiti and it soon turned into a counter attack for Al Shabab. Dawood Ali collected the ball and passed it to Ciel then to Julio Cesar who rounded up the goalie before sending it into the net scoring the second goal and securing the three points for his side.