Champions Al Ain look to have ridden their bad spell after they made it back-to-back wins with a 4-2 home victory against Bani Yas.
Zlatko Dalic’s men were firmly in charge as they led 3-0 after just 37 minutes, Brazilian striker Douglas opening the scoring after just eight minutes, heading a second to make it 3-0 after Mohammed Abdulrahman’s exquisite outside of the right foot finish made it two.
Fawaz Awana reduced the deficit with 11 minutes remaining before Suhail Ahmed made it 3-2 in the first minute of stoppage time. Danilo Asprilla sealed the points with the last kick of the game, though.
Elsewhere, Al Wasl reclaimed third spot from Al Wahda, but coach Gabriel Calderon will have been furious with his side throwing away a first-half 2-0 lead in the Western Region as hosts Al Dhafra battled back to secure a 2-2 draw.
Rogerio Coutinho opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark and Fabio de Lima doubled the lead four minutes later from 12 yards after Caio Canedo had been felled in the box.
Adil Hermach reduced the arrears on the stroke of half time for Mohamad Kwid’s men and the Western Knights, who have lost just once in their last seven AGL games, equalised in stoppage time through Syrian Omar Khrbin.
In Thursday’s games Al Nasr’s recent woes continued as they fell to a 3-2 defeat to resurgent Al Jazira. Ali Mabkhout’s brace put the visitors 2-0 up before Jires Kembo-Ekoko’s free-kick reduced the deficit.
Defender Salem Ali’s delightful lob killed the game off with minutes remaining before former Jazira forward Jonathan Pitroipa hit a late consolation.
Meanwhile, Sebastian Tagliabue took his league tally to 21 goals in 21 games with a brace in a 3-0 win at Fujairah, Ismail Matar getting the Clarets’ other goal.
