Emirates stun Al Ain in Arabian Gulf League

Without Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Abdulrahman had to pull the strings for Al Ain in midfield. (AFP file)

Some really lax defending saw record champions Al Ain suffer their first defeat this season, leaving their Arabian Gulf League title campaign in question.
Moroccan midfielder Mourad Batna, on loan from FUS Rabat, fired a brace, while Swedish-Senegalese striker Osman Sow, a winter signing from Chinese Super League side Henan Jianye, scored the other as Emirates inflicted a 3-2 defeat on the 12-time champions.
It was Al Ain's first loss in 14 matches this term and the reverse at the Emirates Club Stadium in Ras Al Khaimah on Thursday night could prove costly for The Boss, who have now dropped points in two matches on the bounce.
This defeat follows on the 1-1 stalemate against basement dwellers Bani Yas last time out and it came on a night when new man Nasser Al Shamrani couldn't make much of an impact.
Batna had given Emirates the lead on 22 minutes, curling in his left-footed freekick past goalkeeper Khalid Eisa but it was the Al Ain backline, normally solid, which let in two easy goals. Al Ain were without their talisman Omar Abdulrahman but his brother Mohammed more than made up for his absence by feeding the strikers.
The Boss came close on 11 minutes when Mohammed Abdulrahman set up Caio from the right but the Brazilian's attempted chip didn't come off as it sailed over the cross bar.
But it was to be Emirates who took the lead with Batna making no mistake with his freekick after which their resolute backline kept the Al Ain strike force at bay. Mohammed Abdulrahman and Caio combined again just past the half hour but the latter shot over again.
Caio finally got on the scoresheet and levelled things up for Al Ain on 39 minutes, shaking off his marker Ahmad Yaslam, before firing it into the far post.
Emirates still had a try to retake the lead with five minutes left in the half when Batna headed it down and unleashed a powerful long-ranged volley, but it hit the side netting.
Al Ain were back in business deep into the second period after substitute Ibrahim Diaky, on for Khaled Abdulrahman at the start of the half, chested it down before firing it home, on 71 minutes.
The lead was short-lived though as Batna latched onto a cross from Abdulla Ali and capitalised on a defensive lapse to score his fifth goal of the competition.
And with seven minutes left to the final whistle, Al Ain were caught napping again and Sow slipped it through Eisa's legs after a throw-in from Yaslam.