Al-Wasl player Fabio Lima regained his scoring touch after a long absence, leading the 'Emperor' to a crucial 3-0 victory over Al-Dhafra on Wednesday at Za'abel Stadium in the 20th round of the UAE Pro League. In front of about 1,000 spectators, the win keeps his team's hopes alive of qualifying for international competitions. Lima opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, ending a goalless streak of 11 consecutive matches, making it easier for his team to secure the win. Later, Ali Sa'id doubled the lead in the 51st minute, before Renato Junior sealed the goal-scoring festival in the 80th minute. Lima had been off the scoresheet since his goal against Khorfakkan in the seventh round, and during that period, he faced criticism for his decline in form before returning strongly and confirming his attacking value. This goal took Lima's tally to 180 in the Pro League, solidifying his position as the third-highest scorer in the competition's history, behind Ali Mabkhout (228 goals) and Sebastian Tagliabue (184 goals). He also boosted his impressive record against Al-Dhafra, bringing his direct goal contributions to 20 (14 goals and 6 assists). The match saw three red cards, most notably Al-Wasl's Gabriel dos Santos in the 51st minute, along with Al-Dhafra's duo Vinicius Serafim in the 59th and Abdurrahman Susi in the 89th. With this win, Al-Wasl's points increased to 33, placing them fifth, while Al-Dhafra's tally remained at 18 points in 12th place, complicating their situation in the relegation battle.
