Al Ain put one foot in Champions League last-eight

Martyn Thomas 22:42 06/05/2014
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  • Deadly duo: Abdulrahman (l) and Gyan (c) grabbed a goal each to put Al Ain in the driving seat.

    Al Ain have one foot in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals after a superb first-half display helped them secure a 2-1 first-leg win at Al Jazira.

    Winless in three attempts against their hosts this season, the Boss started like a steam train as Asamoah Gyan and Omar Abdulrahman each scored in the first 15 minutes.

    The latter was exceptional during an opening period that could have ended with three or four away goals.

    But after the break Jazira rallied with Musallem Fayez cutting the deficit against his old side. Substitute Felipe Caicedo had the ball in the back of the net in the final 10 minutes but saw his effort ruled out as Fayez was adjudged to have been offside ahead of him.

    The Ecuadorian had earlier fired wide from all of eight yards, and it clearly wasn’t his night as Al Ain held on for a result that puts them in the driving seat ahead of the second leg at the Haza bin Zayed Stadium next Tuesday.

    Jazira coach Walter Zenga had claimed on the eve of the first leg that his side would go on the offensive in Abu Dhabi, saying that they didn’t know any other way to play.

    The flip side to that statement is that his team have no idea how to defend and their frailties at the back were laid bare during a frantic opening 15 minutes that saw their visitors seize the initiative in the two-legged tie.

    Al Ain, playing towards a large and vocal travelling support in the first half, were clearly in the mood to strike an early blow and swarmed the home penalty area in the opening 10 minutes.

    Jazira were struggling to keep the ball out of their own half and duly fell behind in the 11th minute as Mohammed Fayez played a one-two with Ahmed Barman before whipping in a left-footed cross.

    The full-back’s contact was by no means perfect but the slight mis-hit allowed Gyan to get ahead of former Al Ain defender Musallem Fayez and side-foot past keeper Ali Khaseif.

    Al Ain had achieved their aim of an away goal but did not shut up shop. Four minutes later the ball broke off a Jazira leg around 25 yards out, Omar Abdulrahman took one touch to steady himself and then whipped a left-footed effort into the far corner that left Khaseif stranded.

    With 165 minutes of the tie left to play, the delirious travelling support broke out into a Poznan. Jazira’s task now looked monumental, and tempers appeared to fray as Abdulla Qasem was pictured remonstrating with the home bench.

    And their spirits would not be lifted during a half that belonged to Omar Abdulrahman. After Fares Juma had tested Khaseif with a 35-yard free kick, the UAE playmaker produced two wonderfully audacious through-balls that neither his brother Mohamed nor Gyan were quite able to finish off.

    Minutes before Gyan skied from seven yards, referee Kim Jong Hyeok had waved away a penalty appeal from the hosts as Jucilei thought he was tripped by Helal Saeed.

    But that was about as threatening as Jazira had looked and it was no surprise to see bustling striker Caicedo emerge from the bench for the second half.

    However it was the Abdulrahman brothers that threatened again first as Mohamed hit the base of the post with a 18-yard volley following a training ground set-piece.

    Jazira were handed a lifeline in the tie in the 58th minute, though, as Musallem Fayez atoned for his earlier slip to head home Barrada’s cross from the right.

    Minutes later Khaseif was called into action to deny Gyan restoring Al Ain’s two-goal cushion but the game was becoming more open and with just over a quarter of the game remaining Caicedo contrived to fire wide from all of eight yards.

    Boss substitute Yassine El Ghanassy then slipped when well placed before Abdulla Mousa saw a thunderous 30-yard strike smack against the bar, hit keeper Khalid Essa on the back and somehow stay out.

    There was still time in a pulsating second-half for Gyan to receive a yellow card for diving, and for Caicedo to bundle a Barrada free kick into the net only to see the linesman raise his flag.

    Musallem Fayez was offside in front of the Ecuadorian but whether he was interfering with play will be debated until the second leg.

    PLAYER RATINGS

    Al Jazira (4-3-3): Khaseif; Sabeal, Fayez, Abdulla 4, Mousa; Jucilei, Esmail 5, Shin; Qasem, Mabkhout, Barrada Subs: Caicedo for Abdulla (46’), Rabea for Esmail (60’)

    Al Ain (4-2-3-1): Essa; M Ahmed, F Juma, I Ahmed, M Fayez 7; Barman, Saeed; Diaky 7, O Abdulrahman, M Abdulrahman 7; Gyan Subs: Radoi for Diaky (64’), F Fayez for M Fayez (68’), El Ghanassy for M Abdulrahman (70’) Ref: Kim Jon Hyeok Att: 18,650

    MAN OF THE MATCH: 

    Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain)
    The midfielder appeared to have the freedom of the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium for much of the first half, pulling into pockets of space at will and creating two gilt-edged chances. When Jazira rallied in the second half his willingness to get hold of the ball and ability to keep hold of it proved invaluable as his side secured a first-leg advantage.

    VERDICT 

    Ahead of a busy schedule the Boss started like a team in a hurry to get the tie over and done with. For an hour they were superb, and toyed with their hosts during a 10 minute spell at the end of the first and beginning of the second half. Visibly tired though and Jazira could, and probably should have scored an equaliser. Their two away goals mean they are favourites to progress.

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