ADNOC Professional League: Shabab Al Ahly Returns to the Top, and Al Ain Defeat Highlights the Fifth Round
Following the fifth round of matches in the ADNOC Professional Football League, Shabab Al Ahly has reclaimed the top spot in the league, benefiting from Al Ain's first defeat of the season.
Al Ain suffered a 0-1 loss to Al-Nasr last night, Sunday, concluding the round with Shabab Al Ahly leading by one point against Al Ain, after Shabab Al Ahly drew 1-1 with Al-Jazira on Saturday.
The round, which featured matches spread over three days, saw the hosts securing victories in four matches: Kalba defeated Hatta 2-1, Al-Bataeh overcame Khor Fakkan 3-1, Baniyas triumphed over Al-Wahda 2-1, and Al-Nasr defeated Al-Ain 1-0. Two matches ended in a draw (Al-Wasl vs. Ajman 1-1) and (Al-Jazira vs. Shabab Al Ahly 1-1), while the hosts lost in one match (Emirates vs. Al-Sharjah 1-3).
At the end of the round, Shabab Al Ahly and Al-Wasl emerged as the only two teams undefeated in the competition so far in the ongoing season, while Ajman and Hatta have struggled to secure a victory thus far.
Dutch coach Alfred Schroeder, manager of Al Ain, confirmed that his team did not perform at its best against Al-Nasr, missed several opportunities, and did not maintain the desired form. His player, Jonathan Santos, also received a red card, making it a tough task for Al-Nasr.
He added, "We need to learn from the mistakes that led to our defeat after a series of wins. We must stay focused to get back to winning ways in the upcoming matches."
The round's matches witnessed a total of 19 goals, with an average of 2.7 goals per game. The most notable matches were Al-Bataeh's 3-1 victory over Khor Fakkan, while the least-scoring game was Al-Nasr's 1-0 win against Al Ain.
Sharjah's player, Sebastian Tigali, scored two goals against the Emirates, bringing his total to 180 goals in 224 matches he has played in the professional league with Al Wahda, Al Nasr, and Al Sharjah.
Baniyas secured a victory against Al Wahda in this round, marking their first home victory over Al Wahda in the professional championship since September 2018.
Although he didn't score in this round, Togolese player Laba Kodjo of Al Ain maintained his lead in the league's top scorer list with 4 goals, tying with Walid Azaro (Ajman), Caio Lucas (Sharjah), Youssef Nketiah (Bani Yas), and Haris Seferovic (Al Wasl).
The match officials issued 39 yellow cards, with the majority of them in the match between Al-Wasl and Ajman (11 cards), and they also handed out 5 red cards.