Al Wasl strengthened their position at the top of the ADIB Cup standings with a 2-0 win over Al Nasr in the Bur Dubai Derby at Zabeel Stadium on Saturday.
First-half goals from Renato Junior and Brahian Palacios secured Al Wasl's fourth consecutive victory in the competition, extending their perfect record to 12 points.
Al Nasr, meanwhile, remained on seven points after suffering their first defeat of the league stage.
Al Wasl took more than half an hour to break down Al Nasr's defence, with Renato Junior opening the scoring in the 34th minute.
Brahian Palacios doubled the hosts' advantage just six minutes later, finding the net in the 40th minute to give Al Wasl a commanding lead at half-time.
Despite conceding twice, Al Nasr enjoyed slightly more possession in the opening half, recording 52.5 per cent compared with Al Wasl's 47.5 per cent.
Al Wasl concentrated on protecting their lead after the break, maintaining their defensive organisation and limiting Al Nasr's opportunities to mount a comeback.
Mehdi Taremi appeared to have added a third goal for the hosts, but the effort was ruled out following a VAR review.
Neither side managed to change the score in the second half, with clear-cut chances limited as Al Wasl comfortably preserved their two-goal advantage until the final whistle.
The result continued Al Wasl's impressive start to the competition and ended Al Nasr's unbeaten run in the league stage.
Renato Junior has now scored four goals in seven ADIB Cup appearances, while Sergio Pereira has provided seven assists in eight matches in the competition.
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