Bani Yas defeated Al Wasl 4-1 at Zabeel Stadium on Friday night in the opening matchweek of the Arabian Gulf League held under the slogan “commit to win”.
Bani Yas looked more dangerous in the early minutes of the game and almost made it 1-0 but Khamis Al Hammadi’s effort went wide.
The Sky Blues continued to pile up the pressure and eventually found the back of the net three minutes before the half-hour mark, as Joao Pedro headed the ball home off a corner kick to open the scoring for the guests.
An impressive individual effort from Nicolas Gimenez saw him double Bani Yas’ lead after sending a powerful shot from outside the box in the 38th minute.
Only three minutes later, Suhail Al Noubi made it 3-0 for the guests. Following a teamwork effort, the ball fell to Al Noubi who entered the box and lobbed the ball over Al Wasl keeper Humaid Abdalla.
Bani Yas had a number of opportunities to further extend their lead after the break, but their chances were either denied by Abdulla or missed the target.
Almost 20 minutes from time, Joao Pedro missed a chance to complete his brace as his powerful effort from outside the box hit the woodwork.
Two minutes later, Al Wasl reduced the deficit. After exchanging passes with Ali Saleh inside the box, the ball fell to Fabio Lima who slotted home to make it 3-1.
In the dying moments of the game, Bani Yas netted their fourth of the night. The ball fell to John Tibar off a cross and the Tanzanian midfielder’s shot found the back of the net.
Bani Yas will next face Fujairah away from home, while Al Wasl will face Hatta on Thursday.
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