Bani Yas earned a crucial 2-1 win over Sharjah in a rescheduled Matchweek 20 fixture of the ADNOC Pro League, played on Thursday night at Sharjah Stadium.
The visitors struck twice during the first half. Saile Samuel Souza opened the scoring in the 35th minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse.
Just three minutes later, Youssoufou Niakate doubled the lead with a composed finish to put Bani Yas 2-0 ahead.
Sharjah, who were dominant in possession, struggled to finish their chances, with Caio Lucas missing a key opportunity in the 34th minute and then hitting the woodwork in stoppage time of the first half.
Earlier in the match, Bani Yas had gone close when Johan Bangsbo struck the bar in the 11th minute.
However, their momentum was shaken shortly after when team captain Fawaz Awana received a red card in the 14th minute following a VAR review for a reckless challenge on Luan Pereira.
Despite playing with ten men, Bani Yas defended with discipline and continued to threaten on the break.
Sharjah came out strong in the second half, driven by their numerical advantage and urgency to close the gap.
They pulled one back in the 69th minute, with Caio Lucas scoring a rare goal off his shoulder to reduce the deficit.
Sharjah dominated possession in the final stages and pushed hard for an equalizer, but Bani Yas held firm.
The win lifts Bani Yas to 25 points and into 11th place in the standings.
Sharjah, meanwhile, remain second with 45 points and lose ground in the title race, now trailing leaders Shabab Al Ahli by 11 points.
Send feedback
