Al Ain claim third AFC Champions League win — The National

UAE football club Al Ain defeated Iran’s Tractor 2-1 in an AFC Champions League Elite match at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain. The team secured its third win in the opening three rounds of the tournament, The National reports.

Three consecutive wins

Ramy Rabia and Hussein Rahimi scored for Al Ain. The team maintained its perfect record in the continental tournament after three matches. At the start of the competition, Al Ain beat Al Nassr 4-0.

Al Ain head coach Vladimir Ivić called the match against Tractor difficult for both teams, as they had also played matches on Thursday. According to him, in the final 10–15 minutes, it was difficult for the players to run, defend and maintain concentration.

“We are happy to get the three points. I believe we were the better team, and I congratulate my players because they showed a professional performance,” Ivić said.

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Workload and Rahimi’s injury

Before the match against Tractor, Al Ain lost 2-3 to Shabab Al Ahli after extra time in the UAE President’s Cup. The same team had previously ended Al Ain’s 38-match unbeaten run in the national championship and knocked the club out of the cup competition.

In the AFC Champions League match, the team played without Soufiane Rahimi, who suffered a leg injury at the end of the cup match against Shabab Al Ahli. Ivić said the exact nature of the injury would become clear over the next few days.

The coach emphasized the players’ physical workload: GPS data showed that the previous match effectively lasted 140 minutes. He named the UAE championship and the AFC Champions League as the team’s priorities, although cup matches and two Super Cups also lie ahead.