Sharjah down Al Dhafra, Al Wahda beat Al Bataeh

Sharjah claimed a confident 2-0 victory over ten-man Al Dhafra in the Adnoc Pro League, powered by moments of individual quality from Igor Coronado and Rei Manaj.

The visitors’ hopes took a major hit in the 33rd minute when Abdulla Alkarbi was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Majed Hassan Ahmed, leaving Al Dhafra a man down for nearly an hour.

From there, Sharjah controlled the tempo and territory, dictating play with patience and precision.

Their dominance was rewarded shortly before the break through a stunning piece of technique from Coronado.

The Brazilian midfielder stepped up over a free-kick and curled a sensational effort over the wall into the top corner, a strike of elegance and timing that broke the deadlock at a crucial juncture.

Barely moments later, Sharjah doubled their advantage thanks to Rei Manaj’s sharp movement and clinical finish.

Latching onto Coronado’s perfectly weighted through ball, the Albanian forward drove into the box and rifled a low shot inside the near post, beating the goalkeeper from a tight angle.

Manaj came agonisingly close to adding a third just a minute after the restart when his strike from inside the box thundered off the crossbar, leaving the home crowd gasping.

Sharjah continued to dominate proceedings, with Vladimir Prijovic forcing a fine save from Amjad Alsayed in the 55th minute as the hosts pushed relentlessly for a third goal.

In the end, Sharjah’s control and efficiency saw them comfortably seal all three points at home.

In another match, Al Wahda produced a composed yet ruthless performance to claim a 3-1 win over Al Bataeh, in a match that mixed early dominance, moments of brilliance, and late drama.

The visitors’ early pressure paid dividends inside ten minutes when Lucas Pimenta pounced on a loose ball in the area after Omar Khribin’s initial strike had been blocked. It was a goal that embodied persistence and sharp awareness, setting the tempo for Al Wahda’s commanding display. Dusan Tadic then stamped his authority on proceedings with a moment of pure class. Capitalising on a misplaced pass from Edilson Alberto, the Serbian maestro spotted the goalkeeper off his line and produced a sensational chipped finish, perfectly weighted and executed with minimal backlift.

It was a finish of composure and vision, one that underlined his pedigree and placed Al Wahda firmly in control after just 14 minutes.

Al Wahda’s third came in bizarre fashion but was no less telling. Under pressure from another precise Tadic through ball, Oumar Keita inadvertently lofted the ball over his own goalkeeper, an own goal that summed up Al Bataeh’s defensive uncertainty and Al Wahda’s attacking intelligence.

The match, however, took a twist just after the hour mark. Jadsom Da Silva was sent off in the 63rd minute for a reckless challenge on Antonio Fialho, reducing Al Wahda to ten men.

Al Bataeh seized the initiative almost immediately, with Edilson Alberto making amends for his earlier error by finishing clinically from close range in the 67th minute.

They nearly made it 3-2 when Alvaro de Oliveira’s powerful effort rattled the crossbar, a moment that could have turned the tide.

Lucas Pimenta, impressive at both ends, came to Al Wahda’s rescue in the 88th minute, clearing Anatole Bertrand’s strike off the line to preserve the two-goal cushion.

Any hopes of a late Al Bataeh surge evaporated when Gianluca Muniz was shown a red for a reckless challenge on Bernardo Folha, ensuring both sides finished with ten men.