Al Ain maintained their perfect start to their ADNOC Pro League title defence with a composed 2-0 victory over Kalba at Kalba Stadium, securing a fourth consecutive win of the season.
The visitors controlled proceedings through patient build-up play and were rewarded in the 21st minute. A slick passing move opened up the Kalba defence before Rafael Vila delivered a dangerous cross into the area. The goalkeeper was unable to deal with it, allowing Abdulkarim Trawri to react quickest and clinically finish into an empty net.
Al Ain doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute following another well-worked attacking move. Valentin Lazaro surged down the right flank before squaring for Georgios Giakoumakis, whose diving effort was redirected by Baba Bello Ilou. His clever touch wrong-footed the goalkeeper and found the net to put Al Ain firmly in control.
Kalba produced their biggest threat in first-half stoppage time when Ahmad Noorollah unleashed a powerful strike, but Khalid Eisa responded with an excellent save to preserve Al Ain's two-goal cushion heading into the break.
The hosts showed greater attacking intent after the restart as they looked for a route back into the contest, but Al Ain remained disciplined without the ball, limiting Kalba's opportunities and managing their advantage effectively.
With the hard work done in the first half, Al Ain saw out the remainder of the match with composure to claim another clean sheet and a fourth straight victory. The result sends Al Ain temporarily top of the ADNOC Pro League table with a perfect 12 points, while Kalba remain 11th with just one point from their opening four matches.
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