Al Wasl climb up with victory over Al Bataeh; Kalba down Dibba

Al Wasl moved up to fourth place in the Pro League after securing a hard-fought 1–0 win over Al Bataeh at Zabeel Stadium in Matchweek 17.

The only goal of the match came in the 34th minute through Nicolas Gimenez, whose strike proved enough to separate the two sides. The result lifts Al Wasl to 29 points with a game in hand, while Al Bataeh remain in 12th place on 13 points.

Al Wasl controlled much of the first half and were rewarded for their attacking intent. Their first major opportunity arrived in the 26th minute when Renato Tapia met a cross with a powerful header, but Al Bataeh goalkeeper Abdulrahman Alameri reacted well to push the ball away for a corner.

Eight minutes later, the breakthrough followed as Gimenez fired home a strong effort to give the hosts the lead.

The goal further highlighted his impressive record against Al Bataeh, bringing his direct goal contributions against them to seven in seven league matches.

Al Bataeh nearly found an equaliser in the 56th minute when Alvaro de Oliveira broke through on goal, but hesitation at the crucial moment allowed the Al Wasl goalkeeper to intervene and preserve the advantage.

The match grew tense in the closing stages as both teams were reduced to ten men, with Saleh sent off for Al Wasl and Alvaro de Oliveira also receiving a red card for Al Bataeh.

Despite late pressure and attempts from both sides, the scoreline remained unchanged, and Al Wasl held firm to secure a valuable three points in their push up the table.

Meanwhile, Shahriyar Moghanloo scored twice to guide Kalba to a 2–1 win over Dibba at Kalba Stadium.

Moghanloo found the net in the 49th and 86th minutes to secure all three points for the hosts, while Carlos Vinicius briefly brought Dibba level with a goal in the 58th minute.

The win lifts Kalba to eighth place with 19 points, while Dibba remain 13th on 12 points, with a game still in hand. The first half offered limited goalmouth action, as both sides struggled to create clear-cut chances.

Kalba came closest in the 26th minute when Leandro Leite’s direct effort sailed over the crossbar, while Dibba’s best opportunity arrived just before the break through Abdallah Sultan, whose attempt also cleared the bar. The teams went into halftime goalless.

Kalba took control early in the second half when Moghanloo calmly converted a penalty in the 49th minute. Dibba responded nine minutes later, as Carlos Vinicius struck powerfully from inside the area to restore parity.

With the match seemingly heading toward a draw, Moghanloo stepped up once again. In the 86th minute, he reacted quickly inside the box and fired home a decisive finish to seal the victory and complete his brace.

Earlier, Al Jazira struck late to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory over city rivals Al Wahda in a fiercely contested Abu Dhabi derby on Friday.

The win lifts Al Jazira to fourth place on 28 points, narrowing the gap on third-placed Al Wahda, who remain on 30 points after a setback in the race for the top three.

After a tight and tactical first half, Al Jazira made the breakthrough 13 minutes after the restart. Milson did well to work space before rolling the ball into the path of Khalifa Alhammadi, who fired a first-time effort into the net to ignite the home support.

Al Wahda responded with urgency and were handed a route back into the contest 10 minutes from time. Omar Khribin kept his composure from the penalty spot, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to level the score at 1-1.

But the drama was far from over, Substitute Vinicius Mello needed only moments to make his mark. Just two minutes after the equaliser, the Brazilian reacted quickest inside the box and clinically converted from close range with his first touch of the game to restore Al Jazira’s lead. Al Wahda pushed forward in search of another response, but Al Jazira held firm to claim a vital three points.