AL AHLI 1 AL AIN 1
Al Ahli -
Munoz 35'
Al Ain -
Salem 5'
Red cards -
Carlos Munoz (Al Ahli)
DUBAI // There is now no doubt that it represents the
's ultimate grudge match. Monday night's testy affair between
and
threatened to descend into chaos as Carlos Munoz and his Ahli coach Cosmin Olaroiu were both dismissed in stoppage time.
With the game tied, Munoz, the Chilean attacker, had wriggled through on goal when he appeared to be tripped by Al Ain's Ismail Ahmed.
Instead of a penalty, the Chilean forward saw red for diving and Olaroiu's explosive reaction sealed his fate.
The Romanian coach, who led Al Ain to two consecutive league titles in 2012 and 2013 before departing for Ahli and dethroning his former club last season, has now been sent to the stands three times in matches between these two sides, including last season's President's Cup final.
Given the history, it was a game neither side wanted to lose and both teams got their wish, nullifying each other to share the spoils at Rashid Stadium.
Before kick off, the giant poster in the packed grandstand read “The Hell” and a heated, fiery battle followed.
With three consecutive league titles, Olaroiu has been spoken of as having the Midas touch. It has, however, disappeared at times this season as Ahli have struggle for form.
The coach's concerns will have certainly grown deeper during the opening exchanges as Mohaned Salem, the Al Ain defender, found space inside the opening five minutes and rifled home a loose ball from a Miroslav Stoch corner.
Ahli could have equalised immediately, but proved wasteful. In the 35th minute, with Ismail Al Hamadi playing a lofted through-ball, Munoz neatly headed it past the despairing Essa.
As the game grew on, late challenges grew in number and with Olaroiu growing increasingly animated in his technical area, tempers began to flare.
They came to a head in stoppage time and carried on after the final whistle.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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