Al Wasl produced a commanding first-half performance to defeat city rivals Al Nasr 2-1 in a heated Bur Dubai derby, with goals from Adryelson Silva and Ali Saleh proving decisive despite a spirited second-half response from Abdoulaye Touré.
Adryelson Silva opened the scoring midway through the first half, displaying immaculate timing and aerial dominance.
Meeting Soufiane Bouftini’s perfectly measured curling cross from the right, Silva rose highest at the far post to power a precise header beyond the goalkeeper.
Moments later, Al Nasr almost levelled in spectacular fashion. Abdoulaye Touré burst down the left flank and delivered a teasing cross into the box, where Ramón Miérez met it first time.
His instinctive strike beat the goalkeeper but crashed off the post, a narrow escape for Al Wasl and a stark reminder of how fine the margins can be in games of this intensity.
Just before half-time, Ali Saleh doubled Al Wasl’s advantage with a moment of pure class.
Picking up Sergio Pereira’s perfectly weighted through ball, Saleh curled a sublime effort into the top corner from the left edge of the area, sending the home fans into raptures.
Al Nasr’s frustration deepened moments later when Bernard Mensah was shown a red card for a reckless challenge on Hugo Neto in first-half stoppage time, leaving his side with a mountain to climb.
Despite the setback, Al Nasr clawed their way back into the contest eight minutes after the restart through a stunning solo effort from Abdoulaye Touré.
The midfielder drove forward with purpose before unleashing a thunderous strike past Mohamed Ali to reignite the visitors’ hopes.
However, Al Wasl’s composure and control ensured there would be no further comeback, as they managed the remainder of the match with maturity and defensive discipline.
The victory lifts Al Wasl to third place with 13 points, while Al Nasr remain ninth on eight, as both teams continue their pursuit of momentum in the ADNOC Pro League.
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