A night to remember for Al Ain after routing Iranian side Esteghlal

With the Asian continental dreams at stake, Monday night was an opportunity for Al Ain players to script a legend.

And goals from Omar Abdulrahman, Caio Lucas, Lee Myung-joo and Nassir Al Shamrani against Iranian side Esteghlal ensured an unforgettable night at the iconic Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.

After the initial 20 minutes of resistance, Esteghlal were left chasing shadows for the rest of the match. The visitors lacked possession, but when they did get the ball, it was easily won back by their talented rivals and turned into goals.

At the end it was 6-1 and Al Ain advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2017 AFC Champions League on 6-2 aggregate score. The win was a sweet revenge after 1-0 away loss in Tehran last week.

The atmosphere at the stadium was electrifying and Al Ain players certainly gave their fans a performance to remember.

Omar tested keeper Mehdi Rahmati with his left footed free kick. Al Ain kept the pressure on their rivals by winning three corners in the space of four minutes. Two Omar assisted attempts on goal came through from Ismail Ahmed and Ahmed Barman as their persistent attacks paid off. In the 27th minute, midfielder Caio converted from the middle of the box after a one-two with Lee Myung-joo. And then in the 33rd minute Caio, with a blazing solo run from the centre, deposited the ball into right corner to double the advantage.

Right at the start of the second half, Omar killed the contest with a finish from a tight angle. The quality of the goal had demoralised the visitors. The goal, like the previous two, happened due to the failure to mark the right man. Six Iranians focused on four Al Ain legs but left Omar free.

Gifts were in plenty on the night and in the 56th minute, the ever-dependable Lee Myung-joo made it 4-0 with a clinical finish. It was an emotional goal for the South Korean whose contract expires next week. Four minutes later, Omar raised high-fives with a long-ranger that dipped into the bottom right corner.

Al Ain, however, weren't done yet. The 'Boss' wanted to make a statement and kept pressing.

Esteghlal defenders were clueless and comeback man Shamrani piled more misery on the Iranians in the 75h minute by converting from Omar's top-notch pass.

However, Esteghlal striker Kevah Rezaei pulled one back from a free-kick that found its way past Khalid Eisa to end the night at 6-1.

Al Ain played with flair as their players were desperate to prove a point to the 'Ainawi' fans and ripped apart Esteghlal. It was a lesson in attacking football for the Iranian side.

Source: Khaleej Times