UAE Pro League:
Azmoun continues dazzling form as Shabab Al Ahli edges Al Ain
Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun was on target yet again as Shabab Al Ahli defeated Asian champion Al Ain 1-0 in the UAE ADNOC Pro League.
A ninth victory in 11 games saw Shabab Al Ahli move atop the Emirati top-flight table with 29 points – one point clear of Sharjah.
Azmoun’s tap-in from close range on Guilherme Bala’s low drive went in off goalkeeper Khalid Eisa’s hand to take the take the Iranian’s tally to eight goals in nine league games, leaving him third in the leading marksmen’s chart following Al Ain’s Kodjo Laba (14) and Syrian Omar Khribin (10) of Al Wahda.
Laba had the chance to add to his haul five minutes before the interval, only to see his effort from the spot kept out by Hamad al-Meqebaali.
Azmoun, who left Bundesliga outfit Leverkusen to join Shabab Al Ahli in the summer, has been enjoying a prolific debut season in the Asian club football, contributing with a remarkable 17 goals and four assists in 19 appearances across all competitions.
The 30-year-old’s most productive campaign came in the 2019/20 season, when he bagged 21 goals in 38 games, including 17 strikes in the league to help Zenit St. Petersburg lift the Russian top-flight trophy.
He netted 19 goals the following campaign to inspire the Russian heavyweight to a third successive league crown, while claiming the Player of the Season prize.
Elsewhere in the latest round of fixtures in the Emirati League, Iranian forward Shahriyar Moghanlou found the net twice for Ittihad Kalba but Al Nasr pulled off a sensational fightback, with Othmane Boussaid scoring the winner in stoppage time, for a 3-2 win.