A thrilling Classico under the lights at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium ended all square, as Al Ain and Al Wahda played out a dramatic 2–2 draw, with Laba Kodjo and Omar Khribin each striking twice in a captivating matchweek 13 encounter.
It was a night defined by moments of quality and resilience, as both sides traded blows in an open, high-tempo contest that lived up to the stature of the Classico.
Al Ain made the perfect start, taking the lead inside nine minutes. Matías Palacios found space down the right flank before squaring the ball into the box, where Laba Kodjo arrived with trademark composure, guiding a clinical finish beyond the goalkeeper to ignite the home crowd.
Al Wahda responded with authority and were rewarded midway through the first half. After being awarded a penalty, Omar Khribin showed ice-cold nerves, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot to restore parity in the 29th minute.
The momentum swung again shortly after the break, though Al Wahda’s task became more difficult when defender Favour Ogbu was shown a red card following a reckless challenge, leaving the visitors a man down.
Al Ain capitalised on their numerical advantage in the 51st minute. Mohamed Abbas surged forward down the right and delivered a precise cut-back into the area, where Kodjo struck with sublime technique, curling an unstoppable effort into the top corner to put the hosts back in front.
Yet Al Wahda refused to fold. Just nine minutes after the hour mark, Khribin produced another moment of class, timing his run to perfection to latch onto a defence-splitting through ball from Dusan Tadic before slotting home a brilliant finish to level the score once more.
Al Wahda’s challenge grew even tougher late in the contest when they were reduced to nine men, as Facundo Daniel was shown a red card in the 75th minute, compounding the visitors’ disciplinary troubles in an already demanding Classico.
The result sees Al Ain remain top of the table with 31 points, while Al Wahda hold on to third place with 26, after a Classico that delivered goals, drama, and standout performances.
Send feedback
