Ryan Babel goal seals win for AGL champions Al Ain

Matt Jones - Editor 02:02 22/09/2015
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  • Al Ain are second in the Arabian Gulf League standings.

    It’s hard to see what all the panic was about in the summer. Champions Al Ain are looking in excellent shape for yet another title tilt.

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    After an awful pre-season that yielded just one win and four defeats, Zlatko Dalic’s men have hit the ground running when it matters, Monday's 2-1 win against Sharjah their third straight league victory.

    New Signings Emmanuel Emenike and Ryan Babel had looked lethargic for the champions during their early weeks, but the former Liverpool man looked up to speed last night, creating and scoring a goal in the first half to put the hosts in charge at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.

    It was a stroll in the park for the men from the Garden City, Renato Caja’s goal on the stroke of full-time the very definition of a consolation for Paulo Bonamigo’s men.

    That was the one low note for Zlatko Dalic’s side but the Croation was far from happy.

    “We had many chances and controlled the game, but we are not happy with the goal at the end of the match, which happened because we lost our concentration and formation at the end,” said the 48-year-old.

    “They thought they were already in the locker room and not on the pitch. I will talk to my players about that because they have to be serious all the time.”

    It took just six minutes for the Boss to take charge, Rashed Essa cushioning in a pin-point cross from Dutchman Babel.

    The 28-year-old started and finished the move that brought Al Ain’s second, releasing marauding full-back Mohammed Fayez down the left whose cut back was met first time by Babel, who rifled an unstoppable bullet past Mohamed Yousif from the edge of the box.

    The man capped 43 times by the Oranje still feels there is more to come.

    “My individual performance doesn’t concern me, it is about the team, but I am in a new league and I have to adapt and have to settle,” he said.

    A game that was meandering to an easy home triumph burst into life on the hour mark, the scoreline somehow remaining unchanged when it could easily have doubled.

    In a mad three-minute spell, the previously untroubled Khalid Essa pulled off a magnificent one-handed save to tip over Wanderley’s spectacular 35-yard volley.

    Al Ain would have made the game safe a minute later but for a superhuman effort from Mohamed Yousif in the visiting goal.

    Lee Myung-joo’s delightful ball over the top to Emenike drew a brilliant double save out of Yousif, firstly deflecting the ball onto the bar from the Nigerian’s stinging shot before recovering brilliantly to deny Babel from the rebound.

    Wanderley could have given his side a lifeline 60 seconds later, intelligently making some space for himself in the box, fooling Mohanad Salem who recovered superbly to block the Brazilian’s effort on goal.

    Coach Zlatko Dalic bemoaned Al Ain's lack of concentration.

    Both teams traded shots for the remainder of the contest and there was a flash of late drama when Wanderley teed up compatriot Renato Caja to net a consolation for the visitors via a post, while left-back Hamdan Qassim saw red for a second yellow after a melee ensued following his foul on Omar Abdulrahman.

    Sharjah’s Brazilian coach Bonamigo was pleased with his side’s second half recovery, although he admitted it was too late.

    He said: “In the first half we had a weak performance, a much weaker one than the overall performance.

    “Our competitors are tough and strong. We made lots of effort but it was too late. The second half was better. It was an open, offensive game but the early goals affected us.”

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