DUBAI: ADNOC Pro League heavyweights let loose in high-scoring matchweek 15, while Al-Nasr’s worrying campaign continued.
A quartet of the top five teams netted three or more times. Leaders Shabab Al-Ahly Dubai club beat bottom-placed Dibba Al-Fujairah 5-1 with 2017 AFC Player of the Year Omar Kharbin scoring a double.
Caio’s pair thrashed second-placed Sharjah in an unlucky 4-0 rout of Baniyas and former Argentina youth forward Tomas Chansley threatened with two goals as fourth-placed Al-Wasl beat Al-Battayeh Defeated 3-1.
Ukraine legend Andriy Yarmolenko won a penalty and ended a run of form as champions Al-Ain’s run of form continued as they handed Al-Dhafra a 4-1 win.
The round’s other substantial result was echoed towards the foot of the table, with third-from-bottom Nasr being brushed aside 4-1 by dark horse Ajman, another huge loss for the UAE’s relegation-haunted, oldest club .
Meanwhile, third-placed Al-Wahda kept the momentum going with a 2-0 win at Ittihad Kalba, whose lethal striker Joao Pedro was intriguingly dropped from the starting XI.
Ultimately, Zayed Al-Ameri’s 90th-minute header secured a 1-1 draw for 2020-21 champions Al-Jazeera away to 10th-placed Khor Fakkan.
Here’s a leading selection of Arab news and talking points from the latest action.
Player of the Week – Kaio (Sharjah)
Sharjah’s summer flood of monster signings grabbed global headlines.
Nevertheless, his real star attraction was already in situ. Saturday’s spectacular win in Abu Dhabi is an example of this.
Greece centre-back Kostas Manolas got a clean sheet, Bosnia and Herzegovina midfielder Miralem Pajnik teed up Mkhete Diop’s headed opener and Spain striker Paco Alcacer got some assists. However, those two assists were converted by outstanding eight-goal Brazilian forward Caio.
The 28-year-old has had a brush with the global stage. A Silver Ball-winning performance – awarded to the second best player – when Al-Ain were historic runners-up at the 2018 Club World Cup, prompting a transfer to Portuguese giants Benfica.
The switch didn’t work, however, and he was soon back on familiar ground. ADNOC Pro League is lucky to have them.
A deflected shot came to rest in the 52nd minute at the Baniyas Stadium. After that the lead will reach three in an attractive manner.
Alcácer’s telepathic back heel finds a grateful Caio on the edge of the penalty box. A fierce, first-ever finish to Arrows in the bottom corner meant 10 top-flight goal contributions to the campaign.
Sharjah sit in second place but flatter to cheat too often.
An external solution is expected to be confirmed imminently with the loan arrival of Cape Verde forward Djini from defending Turkish champions Trabzonspor. Resident attacker Caio, however, could catalyze Cosmin Olaroiu’s men in the remaining rounds.
Goal of the week – Andrey Yarmolenko (Al-Ain)
Another matchweek, further encouraging performances from holders Al-Ain and Yarmolenko.
The 33-year-old’s statistics have been strong throughout his time in the UAE. He has now contributed 11 goals from 15 top-flight run outs.
However, questions were raised about the consistency of this output – not for the first time in an enigmatic career.
Yarmolenko was a constant threat in Dhafra, winning a penalty late in the first half converted by a 17-goal Kodjo Pho-doh Laba. The best had to come shortly after the break.
The former Dynamo Kyiv star picked up the ball into his preferred pocket of space on the right flank. A one-two with United Arab Emirates midfielder Khalid Al-Baluchi saw him get to the center right on the outskirts of the area.
A second one-two with Laba then put him clear inside the penalty box filled with Dafra defenders. Yarmolenko’s sublime touch speed and immediate low drives came from the top drawer.
With four passes in 10 seconds, he turned an innocuous situation into one of the great team goals of the season.
This was Yarmolenko’s dream when Al-Ain staged his summer coup.
A third consecutive league win after three previous draws marks a rapid improvement. So, also a four-point difference from fifth to the leaders.
That elevation – for player and club – will be further stress-tested in Saturday’s grandstand “El Clasico” against visiting Jazira.
Coach of the Week – Goran Tufegjic (Ajman)
Ajman is back.
Defeating heavyweights Shabab Al-Ahly and Al-Ain by a combined score of 2–8 was forgotten when Nasr was sidelined.
Ajman handed over more possession (55 percent/45 percent) and attempts (18/12). Yet Tufegjic knew he had the counterattacking weapons to pierce holes in the visitors’ porous rearguard.
A double from Congolese winger Prestige Mboungou, Bahraini flyer Ali Meydan and ingenious Tunisian schemer Firas Ben Larbi rounded out an exceptional solo goal.
Despite a difficult start to 2023, Tufegjic clearly hasn’t lost faith in his troops. This result justified his position.
How realistic are Nasr’s worst fears?
The relief that 12th-ranked Nasr’s recent win against Dhafra soon wore off.
Now the question is, how far can they sink?
Goran Tomic – their seventh permanent head coach hired since January 2018 – is under significant pressure, with just six top-flight fixtures under his reign. Marquee Winter Edition Penial Mlapa has been scoreless in three league matches, his run in Calaba has seen a decline.
They have the second worst attack (14 goals conceded) and fourth worst defense (29 goals conceded). That is the relegation form.
The four-point gap over Dhafra in the drop zone is an uncomfortable one with 11 matches left. The Western Knights have also shown flickers of life through Bulgarian midfielder Georgi Milanov and journeyman striker Tiago Lyonko from Brazil.
Last season across the border in Saudi Arabia, it was thought that Al-Ahly were too big to go down. His passing suggests Nasr’s worst fears may yet come true.