Berg hat-trick puts Al Ain within reach of 13th crown

Dubai: Marcus Berg struck a fine hat-trick as Al Ain remained on the cusp of adding to their record-breaking 12 titles with an emphatic 4-0 win over nine-man Dibba in the 20th round of the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) yesterday.

With just two rounds remaining in the 12-team competition, Al Ain are at the summit with 47 points and within sight of a record 13th crown as challengers Al Wahda continued their pursuit in second place with 40 points, but with a match in hand against Sharjah on Saturday.

Berg scored twice from the penalty spot (14th and 75th minute) either side of his second in the 19th minute, while Caio Fernandes added a fourth in the 83rd minute as Al Ain ran away with a vital three points to strengthen their claim for yet another crown.

Founded in 1968 by players from Al Ain, members of a Bahraini group of exchange students and the Sudanese community working in the UAE, Al Ain have so far won the league on a record 12 occasions with their last triumph coming in 2014-15.

Popularly known as The Boss, the team from Al Ain is by far the most successful club in the UAE. They have won another six President’s Cup titles, three Federation Cups, one Arabian Gulf Cup and five Super Cups as they complete their golden jubilee this year.

Knowing fully well that they needed just the three points from the match, Al Ain went all out from the start in search of an early goal. They should have taken the lead in the very second minute after goalkeeper Fahd Mohammad botched up a loose ball and played it straight to Caio Fernandes. But the Al Ain attacker relayed to Marcus Berg who in turn gave it back to the Brazilian who blasted out with no one on goal.

Dibba celebrated that escape in the very next minute when their striker Rodolfo Da Silva eased in and shot only to see Khalid Eisa bring off a good save.

The hosts didn’t have to wait for long to take the lead in the 14th minute as referee Ahmad Eisa pointed to the spot after defender Saeed Mohammad felled Marcus Berg while clearing the ball and the Swedish striker dispatched the ball to the goalkeeper’s right and make it 1-0.

The visitor’s goal fell a second time in the 19th minute when Berg quickly turned in a Caio delivery past a defender and a stranded goalkeeper.

The game opened up further after these two quick strikes and Bandar Al Ahbabi came closest in the 37th minute after being denied twice by Fahd among a host of other missed opportunities from The Boss.

The second half saw the home team take complete control, and baring the rare counter-attack Dibba had nothing much to show and stay in the game. Caio, in particular, continued being wasteful in front of the Dibba goal, and was it not for an alert visiting goalkeeper Fahd the score could have been even more flattering.

Dibba defended with all their might, but lost a couple of players in the bargain while trying to stop a rampaging Al Ain attack line. First Khalid Abdullah got the marching orders in the 73rd minute and then 12 minutes later his teammate Ahmad Mohammad followed him for an early shower.

Berg completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute when he converted for the second time from the spot to get his 18th goal in this competition so far, while Caio finally managed to find the back of the net when he drove home from the top of the area in the 83rd minute.

In the other early match, Al Dhafra beat Hatta 2-1 to pull away from the drop zone.