Al Ain claim Pro League Cup with penalty shoot-out victory against Shabab Al Ahli

Al Ain won a dramatic Pro League Cup final by defeating Shabab Al Ahli 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out after the sides were deadlocked at 2-2.

Khalid Eissa was their hero, saving Abdulaziz Haikal’s penalty for the Garden City Club’s triumph at the Mohamed bin Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Federico Cartabia drew first blood for Shabab Al Ahli on 28 minutes and the Argentine midfielder scored his second of the match nine minutes from time to force penalties after Al Ain had taken the lead through Kodjo Laba and Caio Canedo in the second half.

It could have been over for Al Ain but for an excellent save from Eissa three minutes from time when he parried Ahmad Noorollah's rocket over the crossbar.

Al Ain then had an opportunity to put the game to bed but Soufiane Rahimi failed to get past Shabab Al Ahli goalkeeper Majed Naser with a minute left.

Shabab Al Ahli took the lead when Bandar Al Ahbabi misjudged a long ball, allowing Harib Abdulla to work his way down the left flank.

The Emirati winger was left with plenty of space to send in a cross for the unmarked Cartabia to score with a deflection off Al Ain’s Brazilian defender Rafael.

Shabab Al Ahli had a golden opportunity to double the lead early in the second half. Cartabia set-up Thomas Olsen inside the area off a counter-attack and the Norwegian forward found Noorollah on his left, but the Iranian midfielder sent it way over the crossbar.

Al Ain had to improve in the second half and they did from a counter-attack, with their leading scorer Laba darting across to connect a header from an Al Ahbabi high ball for a 53rd minute equaliser.

That goal really fired up Al Ain. They increased the tempo in attack with Canedo’s effort from just outside the area grazing over the bar and a