Ho Chi Minh City had to withstand early pressure from Abu Dhabi with Rashida Ibrahim pulling her shot from above the six-yard-box just wide off the right post and the home side’s defence was breached shortly after. 

The goal came after some brilliant work by Princella Adubea, who collected Ibrahim’s pass before unleashing a piledriver from distance into the bottom left corner as Abu Dhabi got off to a dream start. 

Abu Dhabi doubled their advantage in the 15th minute after Salha Al Zaabi’s long-range effort striking the bar with the rebound falling kindly for Toorfah Al Ghafri to slot the ball home from close range.

Ho Chi Minh City tried to claw their way back but efforts from Huynh Nhu, Ashley Tonthat and  Sabrina Cabrera all failed to trouble Abu Dhabi custodian Jeane.

The Vietnamese side fell further behind in the second minute of added time at the end of the first half with Eugenia Tetteh nodding home Adubea’s cross from the right.

A determined Ho Chi Minh City upped their tempo after the break and came close to reducing the deficit in the 60th minute when Aubrey Goodwill struck the bar from inside the box.

An injury to Al Ghafri then gave Ho Chi Minh City the edge in the 63rd minute with Thua K' scoring from close range off a poor clearance from Fatima Jassem.

Ho Chi Minh City scored their second goal four minutes later courtesy off Chuong Thi Kieu’s glancing header but Abu Dhabi came back fighting with Tetteh netting in the 74th after Naeema Ibrahim dispossessed Nguyen Thi Kim Yen before supplying a cross for the Ghanaian midfielder. 

But Abu Dhabi’s joy was cut short two minutes later when Tran Nguyen Bao Chau struck from long range to beat Jeane at full stretch before Ngo Thi Hong Nhung drew Ho Chi Minh level in the 83rd minute following her lob from just above the box.

A buoyant Ho Chi Minh City applied further pressure and forced Abu Dhabi into conceding an own goal in the 90th minute when Ghanima Al Zaabi inadvertently headed Ngo Thị Hong Nhung’s cross into her own net to complete an amazing come-from-behind win.