Abu Dhabi: Ali Mabkhout saved the day for defending Champions Al Jazira by stealing a sensational 2-2 draw from the jaws of defeat in the derby clash against Al Ain in the Arabian Gulf League fixture at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday.
A brace of goals by Swedish recruit Marcus Berg had put Al Ain in line for a memorable win but Mabkhout spoiled the party with a strike in the 87th minute.
A long ball from the deep and Al Ain’s defender Mohamed Ahmed, who had been exceptional till then, couldn’t match the guile of Mabkhbout.
The striker showed brilliant touches to control the ball before picking his spot to perfection leaving Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa rooted. With that goal, Mabkhout too completed a brace as he had kept Jazira in the game with a similar opportunistic strike to go into the breather trailing 2-1.
With this result, ‘The Boss’ Al Ain slipped to second spot behind Al Wasl (20 points) with 18 points from five wins and three draws. Al Jazira now are on sixth spot with 10 points.
When it is the clash of titans, there cannot be a drab moment and the teams ensured it was an absorbing contest until the end.
The match started with both sides surviving close calls. Al Ain’s Brazilian forward Caio and Jazira’s ace Mabkhout both saw their attempts being saved at either ends.
Al Ain’s star player Omar Abdul Rahman ‘Amoori’ when in full swing is always a treat and the star mid-fielder was very much in the zone.
In the eighth minute, Amoori showed his class to put the home team into the lead. His pin-point release found Brazilian Caio at the left flank and the latter’s left-footed cross was tapped home with ease by Berg.
The jubilant Al Ain players celebrated that goal displaying the No 55 jersey to show solidarity for their Brazilian forward Douglas, who flew home having lost his mother to cardiac arrest.
Buoyed by that early goal, Al Ain were all over the visitors and the margin was widened in the 17th minute. This time Caio playing the role of the mid-fielder to find Amoori on the left flank and again another measured cross from the local star and Berg was there to slot it home with ease for his second goal of the evening.
However, a wrong pass from Caio was enough for Al Jazira to capitalise and they got the breakthrough in the 35th minute. Fares Juma pounced onto that opportunity and his release from the right flank was shot home brilliantly by Makhbout.
The second half was as entertaining as the first. Berg was in line for his hat-trick and he would have almost got it in the 55th minute, had his finishing touch been clinical. He, despite having Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khaseif at his mercy, let that opportunity slip by shooting it wide. Then in the 75th minute, Berg again had a chance but he ended up firing it over the framework.
Jazira forward kept pressing for the equaliser but Al Ain defence led by Ismaeel Ahmed was equally up for the challenge. However, one lapse in concentration was enough for Mabhkout to ensure a draw and Al Ain skipper Amoori went livid.
