Al Jazira took control of their Group A destiny with a first ever AFC Champions League victory on Saudi Arabian soil.
The side from the capital were two goals to the good inside 12 minutes as Ali Mabkhout pounced on a defensive mishap to score before exciting teenage forward Ahmed Rabia teed up Abdulla Qasem to double their lead.
Al Shabab pulled a goal back early in the second half as skipper Ahmed Ateef beat Ali Khaseif from distance, but midfielder Jucilei quickly restored his side’s two-goal advantage.
Jazira were made to survive some nervy moments following the Brazilian’s goal but on the rare occasions Shabab did break them down, goalkeeper Ali Khaseif was on hand to repel the danger.
The result maintains the visitors’ 100 per cent start to Group A, meaning victories in their remaining two home games would almost certainly see them through to the round of 16.
Jazira had not won in four previous AFC Champions League visits to Saudia Arabia – a run that included a 2-1 defeat to Shabab last season – but found themselves in the ascendancy early on.
Just as at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium against Al Rayyan two weeks ago, the Abu Dhabi side were gifted an early goal as Mabkhout took advantage of a woeful free-kick from Hassan Muath to slot calmly past home goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah with less than seven minutes gone.
Muath’s mistake was compounded less than five minutes later as Qasem angled a smart finish past Abdullah after Rabia had committed several defenders with a driving run.
Tempers then began to fray as referee Strebre Dolovski threatened to lose control of the game. Salem Ali and Ali Mabkhout were both booked while Imad Khalili appeared to deliberately impede Qasem.
The visitors started the second half in positive mood as Khamis Esmail, on for Ali at the interval, drew a good save from Abdullah with a long-range effort.
It would be the hosts, though, who made the next telling intervention. Ateef made it third time lucky, exchanging passes with MacNelly Torres before finding Khaseif’s bottom right-hand corner with a rasping drive from 25 yards.
Coach Walter Zenga will have been delighted with the way his side responded to conceding.
Jazira re-established their two-goal cushion within three minutes as Abdelaziz Barrada’s exquisite reverse pass found Rabia whose effort on goal was only parried into the six yard area by Abdullah where Jucilei was on hand to poke home.
