Al Wasl opened their Pro League campaign with a comfortable 5-1 victory over Dubai United at home on Friday. The hosts controlled proceedings from the start, scoring twice in the opening quarter-hour before extending their lead through an own goal and late strikes. The result moves Al Wasl alongside the top half of the table, while Dubai United's struggles continue.
Renato Junior gave the home side the lead after just three minutes, a quick start that set the tone for the evening. By then, the visitors had already looked vulnerable in possession. A. Al Chadli doubled the advantage seventeen minutes in, and here's the thing — the match was essentially over before half-time.
The second half brought further changes, with five substitutions between the fifty-second and sixty-sixth minutes. B. Nagoro's own goal at sixty-three minutes might have been forgivable, but by then the damage was done. Al Wasl continued to camp in the final third, and the visitors simply could not get a foothold.
Serginho marked his presence with two goals, one at eighty-seven minutes and another in stoppage time. A. Saleh pulled one back for Dubai United at eighty-nine, but that price has gone. The visitors ran out of legs, and the result was never really in doubt.
Statistics tell the same story. Al Wasl dominated possession at 52 per cent and created three big chances compared to two for the visitors. They registered eight shots on target with an expected goals figure of 2.45, while Dubai United managed five shots on target and 1.29 expected goals. Many shots with one goal means chances went begging for the away side.
Al Wasl now sit fourth with nine points from four matches, having won three of their last five outings. Dubai United remain seventh on six points after two defeats in their last four games. The gap between them widens, and both sets of fans will be reflecting on very different evenings.