Dubai: An Omar Abdul Rahman masterclass handed Al Ain a dramatic 3-1 win at home to Qatar’s El Jaish in the Asian Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday.

Omar set up Dyanfres Douglas for the first and added a second from a free-kick to put the hosts 2-0 up before the half hour.

Sardor Rashidov then pulled one back from the penalty spot early in the second half, before Omar set up Caio Lucas for a third before the end.

The Boss twice lost to El Jaish in the group stage and much was made before the match about the need to respect and avenge their opponent.

Coach Zlatko Dalic would have been happy with the start but disappointed that they let the pressure off in the second half to gift the visitors a vital away goal. This was remedied however, with Caio’s late effort.

Al Ain now travel to Qatar for the second leg on October 18 needing to just hold on in order to reach their third Asian Champions League final.

Seydou Keita headed an early corner wide for El Jaish and Al Ain’s Caio smashed the ball over from a scramble after an Omar free-kick was fumbled by the keeper.

But it didn’t take long for another Omar assist, this time from a cross, to be headed in by Douglas at the back post on 16 minutes.

Five minutes later Omar added a second from a curling free-kick struck from just outside the area.

Caio shot wide in pursuit of a third before the interval and El Jaish had a late first half free-kick from Romarinho come back off the crossbar.

In the second half El Jaish’s urgency increased with Keita hitting just wide.

And the visitors were eventually rewarded for their efforts on 52 minutes when Ahmad Esmail was ruled to have handled in the box and Rashidov converted from the penalty spot.

Defender Lucas Mendes almost tapped the ball into his own goal while trying to clear a goalmouth cross from Omar as Al Ain fought back.

But El Jaish refused to give up; first seeing several efforts in a scramble from a Rashidov free-kick go dangerously near, and then having a Rashidov inswinging corner tipped clear by keeper Khalid Eisa.

Al Ain, who were by now backed into their own half by the Qataris, eventually crept back out for Douglas to head over from a corner, Caio to miss-hit a volley and Danilo Asprilla to hit the side-netting.

Romarinho twice had chances up the other end either side of Douglas forcing a save from the El Jaish keeper, as both sides went in search at the death.

And that final throw of the dice fell in Al Ain’s favour on 90 minutes when the keeper failed to collect an Omar cross and Caio duly thundered a third into an empty net.

In the other Asian Champions League semi-final first leg Jeonbuk Motors will take on fellow South Korean side FC Seoul at home from 2pm on Wednesday.