Al Ain secured a big 3–0 win over Al Nasr in the first leg of the ADIB Cup semi-finals on Friday at Al Maktoum Stadium, moving within reach of the tournament's final ahead of the second-leg match on 13 December at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
Al Ain threatened early, with Ahmed Shambieh denying a powerful Rahimi strike in the 8th minute.
Palacios also went close in the 20th minute, but his effort was cleared off the line by the Al Nasr defence.
A dramatic moment came in the 42nd minute when the referee issued two yellow cards within seconds before sending off Luka Milivojevic for dissent.
Soufiane Rahimi broke the deadlock four minutes into the second half with a precise low strike, raising his tally to six goal contributions in five ADIB Cup matches against Al Nasr.
Laba Kodjo saw his initial penalty saved in the 64th minute, but it was ordered to be retaken due to goalkeeper movement.
He converted the second attempt to double Al Ain’s lead and extend his own run to five goal contributions in his last four Cup matches.
Rafael Vila sealed the win in the 75th minute with a composed finish inside the box after a well-placed pass from Laba.
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