Al Ain have qualified for the Asian Champions League knockout rounds after earning their first away win in the competition since 2006 with an outstanding display at Lekhwiya.
Zlatko Dalic’s men swept to an impressive 5-0 victory at the newly-crowned Qatar Stars League champions following goals from Ibrahim Diaky, Alex Brosque, Mohammed Abdulrahman and a double from the irrepressible Asamoah Gyan.
The result saw the Boss belie their Arabian Gulf League struggles, where they sit a distant seventh, and make the next stage of Asian club football’s elite tournament in tremendous style with a game to spare.
The few fans that attended the game at a sparsely-populated Lekhwiya Sports Stadium were treated to a glut of early chances.
Khalid Eisa had to be at his best as he sprung across his goal to push away a long-distance Luiz Junior drive. The Al Ain goalkeeper’s demand for his defence to concentrate fell on deaf ears, as from the resulting corner Lekhwiya hit the crossbar twice.
South Korea forward Nam Tae-Hee’s mis-hit shot looped onto the woodwork, with Tunisia’s Youssef Msakni heading the follow up back where it came.
Undaunted, Gyan was at the heart of the visitor’s first soon after as his shot was pushed into the path of the grateful Diaky to tap in.
A second goal came when Gyan showed tremendous vision to hit an unorthodox low cross that Brosque converted on the run.
The Boss had been unable to turn their domestic dominance under previous boss Cosmin Olaroiu into continental success. But a relentless performance elicited three further goals after the break to return the club to the round of 16 for the first time in eight years.
Tresor Kangambu was at fault for the third goal, as his amateurish defending saw him stumble on the ball and deflect it to the grateful Mohammed Abdulrahman to convert from close range.
Gyan then finally got the goals his play deserved. His opener saw him fight off the attentions of the scrambling Lekhwiya defenders and stroke in a smart low finish from just inside the penalty box with 20 minutes to play.
Deep into injury time he struck his seventh Champions League goal of the season, by curling an effort past the onrushing Lekhwiya keeper to seal a momentous day in Al Ain’s history.
