Palacios strikes as Al Wasl beat Al Wahda

DUBAI: Al Wasl claimed a vital 1–0 victory over Al Wahda in Matchweek 11 of the Adnoc Pro League, as a dramatic late goal settled a tightly contested encounter at Zabeel Stadium on Friday night.

The decisive moment arrived in the 84th minute when Brahian Palacios took full advantage of a costly error from the Al Wahda goalkeeper. Showing great composure, the Colombian winger rounded the keeper and calmly slotted the ball into the empty net, sparking celebrations among the home supporters and sealing all three points for Al Wasl.

The win propels Al Wasl to 21 points, lifting them into second place in the league standings. Al Wahda, who also remain on 21 points, drop to third due to goal difference, adding further significance to the result in what is shaping up to be a closely fought title race.

Beyond the league positions, the victory carried considerable historical importance for Al Wasl. It brought an end to Al Wahda’s long unbeaten run in the ADNOC Pro League, which had stretched back to January 2025. Additionally, Al Wasl finally snapped a 10-match winless streak against Al Wahda in league competition, registering their first league victory over their rivals since February 2019.

The match itself began cautiously, with both sides prioritising defensive solidity and control in midfield. Clear-cut chances were scarce in the opening half, as neither team managed to establish sustained attacking momentum. The only effort on target before the break came from Al Wasl’s Sergio Pereira, whose attempt from distance was comfortably dealt with by Al Wahda goalkeeper Mohamed Alshamsi.

After the interval, Al Wahda emerged with greater attacking intent and looked more threatening going forward. Their best opportunity came in the 65th minute when Dusan Tadic delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty area, narrowly missing Omar Khribin, who was inches away from converting at the far post.

That near miss appeared to galvanise Al Wasl, who began to apply more pressure in the latter stages of the match.

Their persistence paid off when Palacios capitalised on a rare defensive lapse to score the winning goal, shifting the momentum firmly in favour of the hosts.

In the closing minutes, Al Wahda threw players forward in search of an equaliser. Omar Khribin came closest, but Al Wasl goalkeeper Khaled Alsenaani produced a crucial save to deny the striker, ensuring his side maintained their slender lead until the final whistle.

In another match, Al Dhafra secured a valuable 3–2 away win over Khorfakkan at Saqr Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi Stadium.

The win marked Al Dhafra’s first away victory of the season and lifted them to 15 points, moving up to seventh place in the standings. Khorfakkan, meanwhile, remain on 11 points in tenth.

The match began at a lively tempo, with both sides quickly asserting themselves in midfield. Al Dhafra opened the scoring in the 19th minute after sustained pressure led to an own goal by Khorfakkan defender Abdalla Elrefaey, following close attention from Abderahmane Soussi. Khorfakkan responded promptly, restoring parity in the 25th minute through Ahmed Abdalla Mohamad.