AFC Champions League Elite
With four wins from as many matches, UAE’s Al Ain are beginning to look like title contenders while defeat for Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad meant they stayed rooted on four points.
With their fans backing them, Al Ittihad made a fast start with a flowing move in the fourth minute that saw Youssef En-Nesyri teeing up Steven Bergwijn for the strike but Dorde Skoko extended his right leg to block the effort.
Al Ain, enjoying a rich vein of form, were more decisive as they took the lead in the 17th minute when Predrag Rajkovic palmed Georgios Giakoumakis’ diving header straight to Kaku, who finished from an acute angle.
Giakoumakis’ aerial threat saw the Greek forward win another header five minutes later but was thwarted by the presence of Saad Al Mosa, sending his effort just wide.
Al Ittihad went agonisingly close to the equaliser in the 36th minute when Houssem Aouar gave Yahya Benkhaleq the slip inside the box but curled his strike just wide.
The visitors struck again six minutes later in a rather fortuitous circumstance, Rafael Vela - in taking Kaku’s pass first time - looked to cross into the box but - to his glee - saw the ball sail over Rajkovic and land in the net.
MD4: Al Ittihad Club (KSA) v Al Ain FC (UAE)
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Al Ittihad began the second half with urgency, Khalid Eisa forced to save Dion Lopy’s long range attempt before the Al Ain custodian denied another shot from distance, this time a curler from Ahmed Al Julaydan.
The home side’s intensity bore fruit in the 53rd minute, winning the ball deep in opposition territory with Aouar feeding Marwan Al Sahafi to pull one back.
Hope, however, soon turned to despair for Al Ittihad five minutes later when Houssine Rahimi’s cross from the right took a massive deflection off Jan-Carlo Simic, with the ball looping over Rajkovic in bizarre fashion.
Eisa pulled off a great save from a Danilo back-heel as Al Ain packed their defence and delivered the final blow when Matias Palacios converted a 90th minute penalty to consign Al Ittihad to their second defeat.
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