Al Jazeera got the first real chance of the game after a quiet opening quarter of an hour. Mohammad Tannous’ through ball sent Mahmoud Al Mardi free down the left flank and the forward cut inside on his right foot and curled an effort from 25 yards out, but his attempt passed inches wide.

The hosts continued to dominate possession with extended passing spells in the opposition half, but the Al Ittihad defence sat deep and blocked Jordanian attempts to bring the ball into their box. Al Jazeera responded with more shots from distance, but Tannous was denied by goalkeeper Muhanad Al Khiari.

Al Ittihad’s counter-attacks produced little in the way of serious threats on goal. Mohammad Al Ghabbash volleyed a loose ball from distance 10 minutes before the break but failed to find the target.

Seconds later, Mohamad Muhtadi nearly broke the deadlock after Yazan Al Arab failed to control a high ball. The Al Ittihad forward pounced on the chance and moved clear on goal, but Al Jazeera goalkeeper Ahmed Abdelsattar closed the angle to keep the score level at the break.

The words of coach Nizar Mahrous in the dressing room seemed to have worked magic as Al Jazeera came into the second half a different side.

Within five minutes of the restart, Ahmed Saleh supplied a superb through pass down the right flank for veteran Feras Shelbaieh whose cross was finished off first-time by Tannous’ volley to give the home side the lead.

Al Mardi came within a whisker of doubling Al Jazeera’s lead a minute later, firing a curled effort from a narrow angle down the right, but his shot just grazed the outside of the crossbar.

The number 11 got his goal shortly after. Another sublime pass from Saleh sent Al Mardi through on goal, and the forward calmly rounded the goalkeeper before slotting home his side’s second in the 53rd minute.

Al Jazeera were presented with a golden opportunity to make it 3-0 in the 78th minute when substitute Mahmoud Zatara was tripped inside the box as he attempted to round the goalkeeper.

Abdallah Al Attar stepped up to take the resulting penalty kick, but his tame effort was parried away by Al Khiari.

The visitors’ woes were compounded eight minutes from time as Noor Al Rawabdeh’s shot from the edge of the box was deflected off defender Shaher Shaheen and past Al Khiari, who was left rooted to the spot as the ball flew into the back of the net.

There was still time for the Amman-based side to add a fourth in added time through Saleh who capped off an excellent night with a goal. The skipper chested down Shelbaieh’s cross before rifling home on the half volley to round off the scoring.

The result puts Al Jazeera at the top of the group ahead of a trip to Abu Dhabi for the reverse fixture on April 15 on Matchday Four.