UAE Pro League: Shabab Al-Ahli on brink of 1st title triumph since 2017 merger

DUBAI: Matchweek 24’s high drama sparked by a torrent of late goals has left Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai Club on the cusp of their opening ADNOC Pro League title, while Al-Bataeh’s relegation fears are now real.

An astounding Sunday evening witnessed 97th-minute equalizers in both of the top-two teams’ games.

Leaders Shabab Al-Ahli were pegged back to 2-2 by substitute Ghanem Ahmed’s last-gasp leveller for city rivals Al-Wasl, while – most consequentially – second-placed holders Al-Ain saw essential victory at Baniyas devolve into another 2-2 stalemate courtesy of Ahmed Barman’s heart-breaking own goal.

Monday’s 2-0 triumph for third-placed Al-Wahda at Khor Fakkan has put the two Abu Dhabi outfits three-points off top. But with only two fixtures to fulfil and the pair owning inferior head-to-head records, Shabab Al-Ahli are within one win of a guaranteed first league success since 2017’s historic merger.

Elsewhere, 12th-placed Dibba Al-Fujairah clawed their way out of the drop zone for the first time this season with a timely 2-1 victory versus 10-man Al-Nasr. Sinking fellow promoted side Al-Bataeh swapped places and fell to 13th when a 3-1 defeat at Al-Jazira ensured their 14th successive winless league outing.

Miralem Pjanic came off the bench for star-laden Sharjah but could not prevent a painful 2-1 home reversal to mid-table Al-Ittihad Kalba which caused the pre-season title favorites to hit seventh. Fourth-placed Ajman, meanwhile, remain well set for their best-ever campaign of the professional era with their 2-1 dispatching of already relegated Al-Dhafra.

Here are Arab News’ top picks and a talking point from the latest action.

Player of the week – Nicolas Gimenez (Baniyas)

Conjecture and rumor surround the