Al Ain, the inaugural champions of the Pro League Cup, managed to claim the title for the second time in their history after defeating Shabab Al Ahli 5-4 on penalty shootouts after the final ended in a 2-2 draw at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday.
Al-Ain were dominant over the 90 minutes (53%-47%), and they had the most shots, totaling 18 shots compared to seven for Shabab Al Ahli.
Soufiane Rahimi and Laba Kodjo had the lion’s share of Al Ain's shots with five shots each, while Shabab Al Ahli's shots were more focused with five shots on target, the same number that Al Ain players did.
Al Ain excelled in the accuracy of passes in general (84%-79%), but Shabab Al Ahli had a higher percentage of passes in the opponent's half (72%-70%). Al Ain players made 14 attempts compared to 5 for Shabab Al Ahli.
Yahia Nader and Federico Cartabia excelled in duels winning 11 duels.
Nader also managed to block three out of four attempts, in addition to intercepting another three passes and winning four fouls.
Meanwhile, Yousef Jaber managed to block four out of five attempts and earned three fouls, but he shot twice on target and succeeded in scoring two goals.
The two goalkeepers were equal in saving three out of five shots on target, with Khaled Issa's advantage in making a penalty kick save that ensured Al Ain were crowned champions for the first time in 13 years. Issa made 20 correct passes out of 25 passes.
Shabab Al Ahli became the first team to score the opening goal in the final and not claim the title, since the Al Jazira vs Ajman final in 2013, to continue the streak of no team being able to defend its title in the competition since launch in the 2008-2009 season.
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