Al Nasr beat Al Jazira to secure quarterfinal spot
Al Nasr extended their Arabian Gulf Cup winning streak as they defeated Al Jazira 2-1 at Mohammad bin Zayed Stadium in matchweek 5 to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
Al Nasr got off to a flyer as they broke the deadlock 23 minutes after kick-off. Marcos Do Nascimento sent an in-swinging near post crossed corner-kick that was headed by Masoud Al Hammadi into the back of Adel Fadaq's net.
Just three minutes into the second half, Do Nascimento turned from provider to scorer. Al Husain Al Hennawi went up on the left wing before sending a ground cross towards the Brazilian, whose composed finish went past Fadaq, extending the lead for the Blues.
Around the one-hour mark, Al Hammadi turned from hero to villain. The goalscorer tackled Leonardo Pereira inside the box compelling the referee to point to the spot and award the Pride of Abu Dhabi a penalty kick. The Brazilian converted calmly into the top left corner, reducing the deficit to one goal.
Al Jazira pushed for an equalizer later in the second half and came close to leveling the scoreline in the 78th minute, as Nacer Barazite dribbled skillfully past Al Nasr's backline and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot that cannoned off the post.
Following the win, Al Nasr sealed their spot in the Arabian Gulf Cup quarterfinals, as they top Group B with 12 points after four games. They join second-placed Al Ain, who secured their spot in the next stage earlier on Monday. Meanwhile, Al Jazira remain in third place with seven points only, having played one more game.
