Dubai: Argentine striker Sebastian Tagliabue scored a fine hat-trick, while Balazs Dzsudzsak added one from the spot to help Al Wahda beat visiting Dibba 4-2 in the first leg semi-final of the Arabian Gulf Cup in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
The former Everton striker from Buenos Aires, who turned 33 last month, caught the Dibba defence napping in the very third minute of the match with an easy tap-in. He then scored his second from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute to hand Al Wahda a 2-0 cushion.
But the visitors continued pressing and were rewarded for their hard work when Brazilian Diogo Da Silva pulled one back in the 66th minute only to see the referee award a second penalty to the home side that Dzsudzsak duly dispatched to the corner.
Tagliabue completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute when he placed a shot past a jumble of four defenders and the goalkeeper from inside the area with nine minutes remaining. Da Silva secured his second after a quickly-taken free kick. The Abu Dhabi outfit will travel to Dibba Fujairah with a crucial 4-2 advantage when the two teams meet again for the return round on March 22.
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai and Al Wasl were the other two teams involved in the second semi-final that was scheduled later on Friday. The final will be played most probably in Al Ain on March 29.
Shrugging off their 6-2 drubbing last week in the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) at the hands of Al Ain, the home team started on a positive note. They didn’t have to wait for long to open their account as Tagliabue timed his run to meet a cross from Balazs Dzsudzsak and beat the offside trap with a left foot tap past Mohammad Salem on the Dibba goal.
That early goal gave Al Wahda the right incentive as they got the freedom to attack freely. But that also gave the visitors ample opportunities to counter. Tagliabue could have doubled the lead in the 14th minute, but the Argentine placed wide with only the Dibba goalkeeper to get past.
With no further goals added the first half ended 1-0 in favour of the home team. It was the second that they came alive with the lively Mourad Batna proving to be a handful for the Dibba defenders. The Moroccan winger was brought down a minute after the hour and Tagliabue stepped up and converted the penalty to make it 2-0.
But Dibba responded well and a quick clearance from goalkeeper found Yaseen Mahmoud squaring for an unmarked Da Silva to prod home in the 66th minute. Referee Yahya Al Mulla pointed to the spot for a second time when Batna had been brought down by Dibba goalkeeper and Dzsudzsak duly converted to make it 3-1 in the 72nd minute.
Tagliabue coolly placed past a crowded defence in the 81st minute to put the encounter beyond reach before Da Silva scored his second of the night three minutes from the end.
