Al Nasr, Khorfakkan share spoils as Al Ain beat Bani Yas in thriller

Al Nasr and Khorfakkan played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Al Maktoum Stadium in Matchweek 17 of the ADNOC Pro League, with momentum swinging both ways before honours ended even.

The result leaves Al Nasr seventh on 22 points, while Khorfakkan move to ninth with 19.

It took just five minutes for the deadlock to be broken. Mehdi Ghayedi reacted quickly inside the box to apply a clinical close-range finish, handing Al Nasr the perfect start and igniting the home crowd.

But Khorfakkan responded with intent. A defensive lapse allowed Adama Diallo to burst into the area, and instead of going alone, he squared intelligently for Tarik Tissoudali, who made no mistake from close range to restore parity. The equaliser shifted the rhythm of the contest, with the visitors growing in confidence.

The turnaround arrived soon and it was gift-wrapped. Goalkeeper Ahmed Shambih failed to control a routine situation under little pressure, and Diallo seized the opportunity, calmly rolling the ball into an empty net to put Khorfakkan ahead.

Al Nasr, however, were not done. Luka Milivojević stepped up from 12 yards and showed nerves of steel, driving his penalty emphatically into the top corner to bring the hosts level once more.

Meanwhile, El Houssien Rahimi delivered at the death as Al Ain edged Bani Yas 3-2 in a gripping five-goal contest at Bani Yas Stadium.

After a cagey first half that produced no goals but plenty of tension, the match exploded into life after the break with five goals, a red card and relentless momentum swings defining a chaotic second 45 minutes.

Bani Yas struck first just two minutes into the restart. Munas Dabbur carved open the defence with a perfectly weighted through ball, and Youssoufou Niakate timed his run to perfection before sliding a composed finish into the bottom corner.

Al Ain responded swiftly. Laba Kodjo showed nerves of steel from the penalty spot in the 54th minute, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to restore parity.

The lead changed hands again before the hour mark. Soufian Rahimi delivered an inviting cross into the area, and Adrian Șut kept his composure amid the congestion to guide a controlled finish and put Al Ain back in front.

But the drama was far from over. Fawaz Awana Almesabi rose superbly to meet Suhail Ahmed Alnoobi’s cross, powering in a header to make it 2-2 and set up a grandstand finish.

Bani Yas’ task grew even tougher in the 81st minute when Joao Victor was shown a red card, tilting the momentum decisively in Al Ain’s favour.

And in the dying moments, the decisive blow arrived. Matías Palacios whipped in a teasing delivery, and El Houssien Rahimi climbed highest above the Bani Yas defence to thunder a header beyond the goalkeeper, snatching all three points in dramatic fashion.

The result lifts Al Ain to the top of the table on 41 points, while Bani Yas remain bottom of the table with 11.

Earlier, Al Wasl moved up to fourth place after securing a hard-fought 1–0 win over Al Bataeh.

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.