Al Ain beat Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad 2-0 in AFC Champions League

Ismail Ahmed provided Al Ain with the breakthrough after the change of ends while ace Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan completed the tally.

The purple brigade picked up their game tremendously after the switch over and were all over the Al Ittihad territory. Within minutes, they were rewarded as Ahmed slotted home with a neat first time left-footed placement, obliging to a measured cross from the left flank by Frenchman Kembo-Ekoko.

Buoyed by that goal, Al Ain almost came close to scoring when Omar Abdulrahman found Gyan inside the box with a defense splitting through. However, Gyan’s full blooded effort was blocked by an alert Al Ittihad custodian Fawaz Al Qarni.

The visitors were suddenly under the pump and their defense looked in disarray as Al Ain forward conducted a series of raids.

With Abdulrahman showing his magic with the ball, Gyan was finding the ball upfront at will. He had Al Qarni in a spot of bother once again in the 55th minute. However, despite dribbling past an onrushing Al Qarni and an open goal in front, Gyan’s shot just went wide off the far post.

Five minutes later, a deft lob from Abdulrahman landed on the foot of Gyan and this time he made it count - a first time volley left Al Qarni rooted and Al Ain led 2-0.

In the first session too, Al Ain had their chances with Slovakian international Miroslav Stoch, Abdulrahman, Ekoko and Gyan gelling well upfront like a well lubricated machine.

Abdulrahman was so much into the thick of things that he even pocketed a needless yellow card after he got involved in an argument with the referee over a free-kick following a collision between his teammate Ekoko and Al Ittihad's Qasem Al Nakhli. In the 25th minute, Fares Juma saw his long ranger attempt sail over the framework after Abdulrahman set him with a witty back pass off a free-kick.

In the 34th minute, a goalmouth melee handed Gyan and Stoch opportunities to strike but somehow the Al Ittihad defense managed to thwart that danger. Minutes before the half time whistle, a scorching effort from the top off the box by Gyan, after being fed by Mohammed Ahmed, was well kept out by Al Qarni. The only noteworthy move from Al Ittihad came just before the break when a curling cross from Fhad Al Muwallad just missed the outstretched legs of an unmarked Mukjtar Fallatah inside the box. Al Ittihad now have their task cut out in their return leg at home in Jeddah as they will be sans their fans after being handed a stadium ban by AFC for unruly behaviour.

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By N.D. Prashant

Abu Dhabi: Hosts Al Ain came up with a superlative performance in the second half to hand Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad a comprehensive 2-0 defeat in the AFC Champions League quarter-final first leg match at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium yesterday.
Ismail Ahmed provided Al Ain with the breakthrough after the change of ends while ace Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan completed the tally.
The purple brigade picked up their game tremendously after the switch over and were all over the Al Ittihad territory. Within minutes, they were rewarded as Ahmed slotted home with a neat first time left-footed placement, obliging to a measured cross from the left flank by Frenchman Kembo-Ekoko.
Buoyed by that goal, Al Ain almost came close to scoring when Omar Abdulrahman found Gyan inside the box with a defense splitting through. However, Gyan’s full blooded effort was blocked by an alert Al Ittihad custodian Fawaz Al Qarni.
The visitors were suddenly under the pump and their defense looked in disarray as Al Ain forward conducted a series of raids.
With Abdulrahman showing his magic with the ball, Gyan was finding the ball upfront at will. He had Al Qarni in a spot of bother once again in the 55^th minute. However, despite dribbling past an onrushing Al Qarni and an open goal in front, Gyan’s shot just went wide off the far post.
Five minutes later, a deft lob from Abdulrahman landed on the foot of Gyan and this time he made it count - a first time volley left Al Qarni rooted and Al Ain led 2-0.
In the first session too, Al Ain had their chances with Slovakian international Miroslav Stoch, Abdulrahman, Ekoko and Gyan gelling well upfront like a well lubricated machine.
Abdulrahman was so much into the thick of things that he even pocketed a needless yellow card after he got involved in an argument with the referee over a free-kick following a collision between his teammate Ekoko and Al Ittihad's Qasem Al Nakhli. In the 25^th minute, Fares Juma saw his long ranger attempt sail over the framework after Abdulrahman set him with a witty back pass off a free-kick.
In the 34^th minute, a goalmouth melee handed Gyan and Stoch opportunities to strike but somehow the Al Ittihad defense managed to thwart that danger. Minutes before the half time whistle, a scorching effort from the top off the box by Gyan, after being fed by Mohammed Ahmed, was well kept out by Al Qarni. The only noteworthy move from Al Ittihad came just before the break when a curling cross from Fhad Al Muwallad just missed the outstretched legs of an unmarked Mukjtar Fallatah inside the box. Al Ittihad now have their task cut out in their return leg at home in Jeddah as they will be sans their fans after being handed a stadium ban by AFC for unruly behaviour.