Al Ahli work off Al Nasr to go second

Dubai - There were 11 yellow cards and a red card across both sides although the players were well-behaved.

Al Wasl missed out earlier in the evening, but Al Ahli made sure they wouldn't suffer the same fate, defeating Al Nasr to go second on the Arabian Gulf League table. With Al Ain leaking points against Emirates to kick-off the 15th round, labelled 'The Year of Giving Round,' on Thursday evening, it opened a window for Al Wasl and Al Ahli to take advantage.
And while Al Wasl failed to make ground, the Red Knights worked off a 2-1 win over the Blue Wave at their backyard - the Rashid Stadium, on Friday night to move to second as Al Ain ceded position. Everton Ribeiro's freekick on 40 minutes was cancelled out by Wanderley five minutes later, before Ahmed Khalil stabbed in the winner, on the rebound. Al Ahli ended the game with 10 men after Abdulaziz Haikal was sent off following a second booking and remonstrating with the referee Ammar Al Juneibi. 
There were 11 yellow cards and a red card across both sides although the players were well-behaved unlike the 'Capital Clasico' between Al Jazira and Al Wahda on Thursday night, which saw the latter end the game with eight players on the pitch. Cosmin Olaroiu's men are three points behind League leaders Al Jazira on 32 points, with just a point separating second, third and fourth places.
It was pretty much even between the two clubs with both having their fair share of the chances. First up, it was Al Nasr who came close with Abdelaziz Barrada unleashing a freekick from the left on eight minutes. The danger lurked for a while before the ball was eventually cleared. Two minutes later, Al Ahli saw Walid Abbas hit the side netting after a long freekick from Ribeiro. Ahmed Khalil then tested Al Nasr shot stopper Abdulla Mohd Ismail with a freekick but the latter stood up to it by punching it away to safety.
A little later, the woodwork was to deny Khalil's freekick from the top of the box on 33 minutes after the 2015 AFC Player of the Year was felled by Essam Dhahi. With the clock ticking away towards the end of the half, Al Ahli went ahead through Ribeiro, whose curling freekick from the right, after Fawaz Awana had fouled Majed Hassan, missed everyone and nestled into the net.
But both teams would take the break on level terms after Wanderley tucked it in before Abdulaziz Sanqour and Walid Abbas could get to it, following a Jires Kembo-Ekoko cross from the left. Al Nasr came close to taking the lead on 71 minutes but Ekoko's left-footer, even as he was losing balance, just whizzed over the cross bar.
But it was the Red Knights who were to go ahead a minute later with Khalil jabbing it in after Sanqour's threatening cross from the left was punched away but not far enough by Abdulla Ismail, who went on to lose his balance.
Diop then fluffed one with 10 minutes left, shooting it way wide from the left.

Al Ahli - 2