The rivalry between Al Wahda and Al Ain has shifted from the ADNOC Pro League to the atmosphere of the UAE Pro League Cup (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup), as a final encounter between the two teams is now logically close. After «Al Wahda» made a significant step towards reaching the final yesterday with a resounding 3-0 victory over Al Jazira at their home ground, the same scoreline that Al Ain brought back from Al Nasr's stadium, both teams now have a clear path to the final in the second legs. Al Wahda faced little difficulty in securing their victory against Al Jazira, despite the historical advantage of «Fakhr Abu Dhabi» (Al Jazira's nickname) in their encounters within the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup. Al Jazira holds eight victories against Al Wahda's two, along with three draws. However, those numbers did not help Al Jazira this time, as Al Wahda imposed their rhythm and controlled the match's flow from the beginning, finishing the first half with two clean-sheet goals signed by Iranian Reza Ghandoipur (12' and 41'). Then, Dusan Tadic extended the lead by adding a third goal from a penalty (55'). On his part, Al Wahda's goalkeeper Zayed Al Hammadi confirmed that his team is capable of winning the return match to secure their place in the final. He said in a press statement: «We have finished one leg here at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, and there is another leg to go. We will not think about the first leg's result, and we will approach the return match with the same seriousness and enthusiasm we had in yesterday's match». Meanwhile, Al Jazira's player, Egyptian Ibrahim Adel, confirmed that the hope of reaching the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup final is still alive despite the 3-0 loss. He said: «Just as we lost 3-0 in the first leg, we could come back with four goals. Anything is possible in football, and I don't rule out a strong reaction from us in the second match».
