Al Ain saw their perfect start to the ADNOC Pro League campaign come to an end after coming from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against Al Wasl in matchweek five on Thursday.
Abdulkarim Traore found the breakthrough after 33 minutes, unleashing a long-range strike from outside the box that flew beyond the outstretched hands of Al Wasl goalkeeper Dinko Horkas.
Al Wasl responded quickly and restored parity just five minutes later. Siaka Sidibe threaded a pass into the path of Nicolas Gimenez, who twisted away from his marker and cut inside before firing into the back of the net.
The visitors then turned the game on its head through Mehdi Taremi. Sergio Pereira collected the ball on the edge of the penalty area before swinging in a pinpoint cross, which Taremi met with a powerful header past Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa.
Al Ain stepped up the pressure in search of an equaliser, with Soufiane Rahimi going agonisingly close when his effort struck the post in the 54th minute.
Their persistence eventually paid off eight minutes from time. Yahya Bin Khaliq delivered an inviting cross into the area, where Valentin Lazaro produced a diving header into the bottom-right corner to make it 2-2.
The late equaliser ensured Al Ain avoided defeat, but brought an end to their perfect winning start after four successive victories.
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