Abu Dhabi: A late penalty from Omar Abdul Rahman completed a double for the Al Ain hero and a 3-2 win against Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor in a Group C encounter in the AFC Champions League at the Bunyodkor Stadium on Tuesday.

In a match that saw Al Ain squander the lead twice, Brazil’s Caio added the other for the winners. For Bunyodkor, Vadim Cemirtan and Dostonbek Khamdamov scored.

This was the Uzbek side’s 12th loss in the tournament; they haven’t won in any of their last 16 AFC Champions League fixtures but it was their first loss against a team from the UAE.

Skipper Omar Abdul Rahman displayed his class from a free-kick just outside the box in the seventh minute. His left-footed attempt left the Bunyodkor goalkeeper Zukhurov rooted as the ball settled into the top left corner of the goal.

However, even barely before the Al Ain celebrations ended, Bunyodkor struck back. Khamdamov’s shot ricocheted from the bottom of the post and Cemirtan, overlapping from behind, nodded it home past Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa.

Caio then put Al Ain back in the lead in the 14th minute. A cross from Bandar Al Ahbabi brushed the head of Al Shamrani and headed straight to an unmarked Caio who blasted into the goal with a power-packed volley.

Al Ain had to substitute their injured midfielder Al Ahbabi with Dawood Al Beloushi and that immediately put some pressure on the defensive-line.

In the 43rd minute, Khamdamov made a swift run from the right and shot high into the centre of the goal from a measured cross from the left flank by Cemirtan to make it 2-2.

With both teams playing attacking football, an absorbing second half was clearly on the cards. They raided each other’s territories at will and came close to scoring several times.

In the 55th minute, Eldor Shomurodov’s right-footed shot from the centre of the box was blocked by Eisa after being set up with a headed pass by Dusan Micic. Then an Abdul Rahman left-footed attempt off Al Beloushi’s assist, unfortunately for Al Ain, sailed over the framework.

Caio’s left-footed shot from the left side of the box after being fed by Abdul Rahman was saved at the bottom left corner by Zukhurov.

Al Ain, in order to add more fire power, brought in Ebrahim Diaky in place of Nassir Al Shamrani in the 66th minute and four minutes later, Colombian winger Danilo Asprilla replaced Ahmad Barman.

That move almost paid off for Al Ain as a right-footed effort from Caio from the left side of the box, after being set up by Diaky, was just saved by the fingertips of Zukhurov.

In the 80th minute, Abdul Rahman got a free-kick exactly at a similar position which he had slotted home in the first half. This time too, the Bunyodkar goalkeeper Zukhurov was left rooted — but the ball did a bit too much and went just wide.

Then three minutes from time, Caio was brought down by Dilshod Akhmadaliev inside the box and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Abdul Rahman converted the penalty with a left-footed shot into the top left corner to seal a memorable win.