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Pep Guardiola's side beat Inter 1-0 in the final two seasons ago as Rodri's goal clinched their first Champions League crown on a memorable night in Istanbul
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Champions Al Wahda end campaign in style
Newly-crowned UAE Pro-League Champions Al Wahda ended the League season with a convincing win over Al Nasr at the Al Nahyan Stadium on Friday night.
Al Wahda, who got the title in the bag after their win over Al Sharjah last week, blanked Al Nasr 3-0.
Their inspirational forward Fernando Baiano scored in the 27th minute and Ismail Matar added the second with a scorching pile driver two minutes after the break. Mohammed Saeed Al Shehi rounded it off with the third goal in the third minute of added time.
Al Wahda completed their league matches garnering 58 points from 22 matches, seven points more than Al Jazira.
Al Jazira held Al Wasl to a 2-2 draw in a game that saw the latter down to nine men. Al Wasl went ahead in the 30th minute through Mohammed Shibh but Jazira levelled it through Tony in the 54th minute. Al Wasl again took the lead in the 80th minute through Maher Jasem but Jazira captain Ibrahim Diaky ensured they came away with a draw by scoring in the seventh minute of added time.
Alexander Oliviera and Darweesh Ahmed were handed red cards in the 49th and 92nd minutes.
In other matches, Al Ain held Al Sharjah 1-1, Abu Dhabi club Bani Yas blanked Emirates 4-0 and Al Shabab defeated Ajman 2-0.
Bani Yas, who were promoted this season, finished a creditable fourth behind Al Ain.
“Al Wahda’s unbeaten home matches paved the way for us to regain the UAE Football League (UFL) title after a gap of five years,” Al Wahda coach Josef Hickersberger said.
Guest of honour Shaikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor and president of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), presented the trophy in the presence of Shaikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of Al Wahda Club, Mohammed Khalfan Al Rumaithi, president of the UAE Football Association and other dignitaries.
“Any team who loses home matches will have difficulty in achieving good results in home and away ties,” said Hickersberger.
The Austrian Hickersberger was non-committal about his future plans. “Now our job is completed and we ended the season with a win as well. So, we are going to celebrate the victory in a grand way before thinking about my future plans,” he said.
It was the fourth crown for Al Wahda after winning it in the 1998-1999, 2000-2001, 2004-2005 seasons.
Al Ain’s Argentinean Jose Sand ended as the top scorer of the league with 24 goals, followed by Al Nasr’s Ecuadorian striker Carlos Tenorio (18) and Al Wahda’s Fernando Baiano (18).
Among the Emiratis, Mohammed Salem of Al Dhafra was the leading scorer with 12 followed by Ahmed Khaleel (11) of Al Ahli and Saeed Al Kaas of Al Wasl (9).
Ajman and President’s Cup winners Emirates have been relegated.
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