Abu Dhabi: Al Ain won a crucial play-off match against Bahrain’s Malkiya 2-0 to seal their place in the AFC Champions League group stages at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Tuesday.
Al Ain were given the opportunity to play in the Asia’s high-profile club tournament after Shabab Al Ahli Dubai’s failure to obtain the AFC licence and the purple brigade made it count.
After a keenly contested the first half, which saw both teams miss chances, the breakthrough came for the hosts after the change of ends.
Swedish striker Marcus Berg, timed his run to perfection to tap home a pinpoint through from Egyptian recruit Hussain Al Shahat. The goal came just after Mohammad Ahmad Ali Garib’s header from close range off a Tsukasa Shiotani cross was saved by Malkiya goalkeeper Abdul Karim Fardan.
Brazilian striker Caio then doubled the lead by nodding home following a clinical cross from the right flank by Bandar Al Ahbabi in the 62nd minute.
Al Ain fans would have been also relieved to see the form of their star Omar Abdul Rahman. The playmaker, coming into the match following disciplinary action by UAE FA for leaving the team hotel at night for two hours on the eve of the Gulf Cup final, which they lost to Oman, showed those blues had not taken any sheen off his game.
In the first half, the visitors got a clear-cut chance to go ahead in the 20th minute. An Eisa Abdul Al Bari header from the centre of the box off a cross from Syed Eisa sailed just over the framework.
In the 24th minute, a curling effort from inside the box by Abdul Rahman missed the goal by inches.
Defence-splitting run
Minutes later, Malkiya came close to scoring through Hashim Eisa, who had the Al Ain custodian Khalid Eisa at his mercy after making a defence-splitting run. Though the Malkiya man tried to chip the ball over Eisa into the open goal, the latter rose in time to keep it out.
Then Al Ain’s Brazilian forward Caio played a brilliant give and take with Abdul Rahman but the former’s shot was brilliantly blocked by a sliding Malkiya defender Syed Eisa.
Then before the break, Al Ain’s Al Shahat saw his left-footed effort after being set by Abdul Rahman being saved from the goalline by Malkiya defender Gege Soriola.