Al Ain extend lead with victory over Al Bataeh, Lima shines in Al Wasl win

Al Ain strengthened their lead at the top of the ADNOC Pro League with a 2-0 win over Al Bataeh at Khalid Bin Mohammed Stadium in Matchweek 23.

The win takes Al Ain to 59 points, extending their advantage at the top of the standings, while Al Bataeh remain on 19 points in twelfth place.

Al Ain took control early in the match and opened the scoring in the 6th minute, as Laba Kodjo calmly converted from the penalty spot.

The visitors continued to dominate possession and dictate the tempo throughout the first half.

Their superiority carried into the second half, and they doubled their lead in the 52nd minute when Marwan Fahad inadvertently turned the ball into his own net under pressure.

Al Ain remained in control and pushed for a third goal, with Laba Kodjo coming close in the 70th minute after a strong individual effort, but the Al Bataeh goalkeeper denied him.

The match ended with a comfortable win for Al Ain, who continue their strong run at the top of the table.

Al Wasl produced a commanding display to secure a 4-2 win over Dibba.

The result sees Wasl move up to fourth on 39 points, while Dibba remain at the foot of the table with 17.

The hosts made the breakthrough after 19 minutes through Fabio De Lima, who produced a moment of real quality with a composed backheeled finish to give Wasl an early lead.

Dibba responded well and were back on level terms six minutes later, as Drissa Coulibaly powered home a diving header from Andrigo’s pinpoint cross to make it 1-1.

Al Wasl regained control before the break. Miguel Borja restored their advantage from the penalty spot in the 39th minute, confidently sending the goalkeeper the wrong way with a composed finish down the middle.

Moments before half time, Brahian Palacios added a third, meeting the ball first time with a crisp half volley that flew into the bottom corner to give Al Wasl a 3-1 cushion heading into the interval.

Eight minutes after the restart, Lima struck again to put the result beyond doubt.

Nicolas Gimenez did the hard work down the left, beating his marker and delivering a precise low ball into the area, which Lima converted with a tidy finish into the bottom corner for his second of the night.

Dibba managed to pull one back in the 76th minute, with Saymon De Barros converting from the penalty spot with a confident strike into the top corner, but it proved little more than consolation.

Al Wasl saw out the closing stages comfortably to seal an emphatic victory and all three points.

In another match, Ajman left it late to secure a crucial 1-0 victory over Al Dhafra at Hamdan Bin Zayed Stadium.

In a tightly contested encounter, clear-cut chances were at a premium throughout a cagey first half, with both sides struggling to impose themselves in the final third.

Al Dhafra thought they had made the breakthrough midway through the opening period when Karim El Berkaoui found the net, only for celebrations to be cut short as the effort was ruled out for offside.

The match continued in a similar pattern after the restart, with both teams showing intent but lacking the final touch to turn promising moments into goals.

The contest then took a dramatic turn in the closing stages. Ajman Club were reduced to ten men in the 76th minute when substitute Anas Mtitache was shown a straight red card, forcing the visitors to dig deep defensively.

Parity in numbers was restored just minutes later as Al Dhafra also went down to ten, with Jobson Santos dismissed six minutes before time following a red card offence.

With the game finely poised, it was Waleed Azaro who delivered the decisive moment in the 87th minute. The forward kept his composure inside the box, firing a low effort into the bottom corner to break the deadlock and hand Ajman Club all three points.

The result lifts Ajman to seventh place on 27 points, while Al Dhafra remain 13th with 18 points after a narrow defeat.