Dubai: Goals either half from Rodrigo Lima and Humaid Abbas handed Al Ahli a 2-0 win at home to Emirates Club in their Arabian Gulf Cup opener on Monday.
Lima volleyed in a cross before the interval and Abbas nodded in a rebound before time to take three points in Group A.
Lima has now scored four in three appearances since joining from Benfica over the summer.
The Brazilian striker scored two in the Red Knight’s 8-1 Arabian Gulf League opening win at home to Fujairah last week, and followed it up with a lone effort in their 1-0 Asian Champions League quarterfinal first leg win away to Naft Tehran last Wednesday.
He’s now well on his to becoming a fan favourite at Rashid Stadium as his free scoring form continues.
Lima volleyed in Abdul Aziz Al Sanqoor’s cross for Al Ahli’s opener on 41 minutes.
Everton Ribeiro had earlier struck over after Mohammad Mulalla had given the ball away on the edge of the area, and Waleed Hussain headed over from Lima’s cross soon after.
Emirates fought back around the half hour mark when Rodrigo Pimpao worked the ball into the area from the left flank only to blast over.
Pimpao then thread Wilmar Jordan through on goal only for the Colombian to shoot wide.
Al Ahli pulled momentum back before the interval with Nawaf Mubarak hitting Saeed Ahmad’s headed assist wide, but Lima finally evaded his stationary marker to sidefoot Sanqoor’s floating delivery into the top right corner.
Lima had a second ruled offside just after the break when he was adjudged to strayed ahead of his marker to get a foot onto Salmeen Khamis’ headed cross.
Ribeiro shot painstakingly wide of the post after a bursting run into the box before time, and Lima had a late call for penalty denied.
But they made it third time lucky with the last touch of the game when Abbas headed a rebound into an open goal after Emirates keeper Ahmad Al Shaji punched Nawaf Mubarak’s freekick straight back into danger on 90 minutes.
