Al Ain emerged victorious over Sharjah with a narrow 3-2 win in an electrifying face-off during matchweek four of the ADNOC Pro League on Thursday.
This win pushes Al Ain to the top spot with a perfect record of 12 points. Meanwhile, Sharjah's tally stops at 6.
The enthralling encounter saw Sofiane Rahimi break the deadlock for Al Ain in the 41st minute. Laba Kodjo furthered their lead in the 50th, followed by Jonatas Santos, who added the third goal in the 66th minute. On the flip side, Sharjah's offensive efforts bore fruit with Caio Lucas striking twice, initially during the first half's injury time and then once more in the 54th minute.
Tensions rose when Al Ain found themselves a man short after Kouame Autonne received a second yellow in the 37th minute. Undeterred, Rahimi soon added to Al Ain's tally in the 41st, marking his significant role in the team's recent successes against Sharjah.
Closing in on the end of the first half, Sharjah managed to level the scoring due to an error from Bandar Al Ahbabi, paving the way for Lucas. This tally brings Lucas's count to 7 in the direct confrontations between the two teams, where he scored 6 for Sharjah and once for Al Ain.
The second half witnessed Al Ain's renewed dynamism. Kodjo, pouncing on a rebound from Sharjah's keeper Adel Alhosani, netted his 90th career league goal. Lucas, however, wasn't to be overshadowed and soon delivered a stellar long-range effort in the 54th minute, making it the first goal Al Ain has conceded from outside the box this season.
The game's tempo intensified post the equalizer. Jonatas, coming off the bench, made an instant impact by restoring Al Ain's lead in the 66th minute.
Sharjah's relentless push for another equalizer was thwarted by Al Ain's shot-stopper Khalid Eisa, who delivered a match-winning performance.
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