Al Ain beat Kalba on penalties, Al Nasr set up quarters clash with Shabab Al Ahli

Al Ain advanced in the ADIB Cup after defeating Kalba 3-1 on penalties, following a goalless draw in Gameweek Two at Kalba Stadium.

The game ended in a goalless draw after 90 minutes, leaving the tie finely balanced following the 1-1 stalemate in the first leg.

With everything on the line, Al Ain kept their composure from the spot to secure progression, knocking Kalba out of the competition for the third time in their history.

From the first whistle, the match developed into a clash of contrasting strategies. Al Ain pushed forward with urgency, looking to exploit their attacking options through Soufiane Rahimi and Abdulkarim Trawri, while Kalba adopted a more cautious approach, focusing on defensive organization and looking to hurt their opponents with swift counterattacks.

Kalba’s goalkeeper Sultan Al Manthari emerged as the star of the opening half, producing a string of vital saves. He denied Trawri’s effort in the 20th minute before pulling off another reflex stop to frustrate Rahimi in the 35th. Al Ain continued to press but were unable to find a breakthrough.

In the second half, Kalba came agonizingly close to tilting the tie in their favor. In the 76th minute, a dangerous counterattack forced Al Ain keeper Hassan Sani into action, and his decisive intervention ensured the deadlock remained unbroken. Despite both sides creating half-chances late on, the contest inevitably moved to penalties.

With the pressure mounting, Al Ain’s players displayed calmness and precision from the spot, converting three of their attempts with confidence.

Kalba, on the other hand, faltered at crucial moments, missing two key penalties that ultimately proved costly. The 3-1 shootout win sent Al Ain into the next round, where they will now await the winner of the upcoming tie between Dibba and Sharjah.

In another ADIB Cup encounter, Al Nasr produced a thrilling performance to edge Al Bataeh 3-2 at Khalid Bin Mohammed Stadium, sealing their place in the quarter-finals where they will meet Shabab Al Ahli.

Unlike their goalless first-leg encounter, this clash came alive with attacking fireworks. Al Nasr broke the deadlock in the 26th minute through Kevin Agudelo, whose thunderous long-range strike left the goalkeeper helpless. The momentum stayed with Al Nasr, and just seven minutes later, Abdoulaye Toure finished off a rapid counterattack to double the advantage.

Al Bataeh, however, refused to surrender. They halved the deficit in the 36th minute when Daniel Bessa showed composure to finish clinically inside the box, ensuring the match remained on a knife’s edge at halftime.

Toure’s Moment of Magic: The second half witnessed one of the most memorable moments of the tournament so far. In the 54th minute, Toure embarked on a sensational solo run, dribbling past five defenders in a move reminiscent of Diego Maradona’s famous goal against England in 1986.

His finish was just as emphatic, securing his first brace for Al Nasr and restoring their two-goal cushion at 3-1.

Substitute Mehdi Ghayedi thought he had added a fourth in the 70th minute, but his goal was ruled out for offside after VAR review. That decision gave Al Bataeh renewed hope, and they pushed forward in the closing stages in search of a comeback.

Deep into stoppage time, their persistence was rewarded when Bessa struck again, this time from the penalty spot in the 99th minute, to make it 3-2. However, Al Nasr managed to weather the storm in the dying moments, holding firm to secure a hard-fought victory and a place in the last eight.

The results set the stage for an exciting continuation of the ADIB Cup. Al Ain, rejuvenated after their penalty shootout triumph, will be keeping a close eye on the Dibba vs Sharjah clash to learn their next opponent.

Meanwhile, Al Nasr’s quarter-final showdown with Shabab Al Ahli promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the competition.