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Al Shabab 3-1 Al Ain: Reigning champions defeated

Al Shabab caused an upset by beating reigning champions Al Ain 3-1 in their opening Arabian Gulf League game of the 2013/14 season at the Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai. A brace from Adeilson and a penalty from Edgar Bruno overcame a first-half equaliser from Mohanad Salem as Al Shabab held out to beat an Al Ain side that played the final 20 minutes of the game with ten men.

Al Ain began as the more attackingly potent side, and the 14th minute saw a particularly nice passage of play down the left as Michel Bastos and Mohammed Abdulrahman exchanged passes to find Diaky in the box, but the former Al Jazira man was thwarted by a block. From the resulting corner the ball fell to Asamoah Gyan, who executed a near-perfect overhead kick but Al Shabab goalkeeper Ismail Rabee managed to keep the Ghanaian’s spectacular goal-bound effort out. Al Shabab soon replied, however, as a long, looping throw-in from Abdulla Faraj was headed against the bottom of the post by Edgar Bruno. A minute later Al Ain were forced into an early change as Mohamed Ahmed retired from the game with injury, with Hazza Salem coming on in his place, but less than a minute later the reshuffled Al Ain defense was breached. Al Shabab’s new Brazilian striker Adeilson became the ninth player to score on his Arabian Gulf League debut this weekend, curling a fine left-footed shot from outside the area into the far corner past Khalid Essa to give Al Shabab a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute. With Al Ain looking unsettled, Al Shabab continued to stream forward in search of a second but it was the visitors who managed to restore parity right before the half-time whistle. Mohammed Abdulrahman’s measured cross whipped in from the left was heading on target anyway, but a final touch from Al Ain defender Mohanad Salem or Al Shabab striker Edgar Bruno may have helped the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-1.

Al Ain almost stole a second ten minutes into the second half as Asamoah Gyan forced a reactive save from Ismail Rabee with a left-footed shot on the volley, and the ball bobbled around in the box before a decisive clearance was made. In the 57th minute Omar Abdulrahman showed why he’s the wunderkind of UAE football, setting off on a mazy run through midfield before cutting inside and firing a rasping left-footed shot against the crossbar as Al Ain piled on the pressure. But they failed to get their noses in front, and soon Al Shabab punished their guests as they regained the lead in the 63rd minute. The hosts carved Al Ain open at the back as substitute Rashid Hassan twisted and turned past Hazza Salem down the left before sliding an inviting ball across the face of goal, which Adeilson was duly on hand to tap in from close range to bag his brace. Four minutes later things went from bad to worse for the reigning champions as they were reduced to 10 men and went another goal behind. Khalid Essa raced out of his area but missed his clearance and the lively Adeilson left him stranded, only to be brought down in the area by Mohanad Salem. The Al Ain centre-back was given his marching orders and Edgar Bruno stepped up to coolly convert his penalty kick, making it 3-1 to Al Shabab in the 69th minute. Al Ain thought they had scored a consolation in injury time to make it 3-2, when Asamoah Gyan’s free-kick clattered off the crossbar and Mohammed Abdulrahman’s follow-up header nestled into the back of the net, but his effort was ruled out for offside and the game ended 3-1.