Al Ain have advanced to their first AFC Champions League final since 2005 after a 2-2 draw with El Jaish in yesterday’s semi-final second leg ensured a 5-3 aggregate victory.
After a goalless first half in which defences were on top at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, Omar Abdulrahman netted three minutes before the hour as the Emiratis opened up a commanding lead.
Romarinho then levelled midway through the half before adding his brace with 10 minutes to play but Mohamed Abdulrahman’a stoppage-time equaliser secured Al Ain’s return to their third continental final.
Needing to score at least twice to have any chance of progression, El Jaish shaded the opening 15 minutes but it was the visitors’ Ismail Ahmed who could have given his side the lead when he headed Omar Abdulrahman’s corner from the right wide on the 15-minute mark.
Romarinho then called Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa into action twice in the space of a minute soon after, first denying his free-kick from the edge of the area and then diving low to his right to push his effort from 25 yards round the post.
As the tie opened up Murad Naji was next to try his luck when he cut in from the right before curling his left-footed attempt wide of the mark on the half hour.
In the 34th minute only a wonderful save from Khalifa Ababacar kept the Emiratis at bay after Omar Abdulrahman played a pinpoint ball over the top for Danilo Asprilla, whose cross-goal shot was destined for the bottom corner only for the custodian to push wide at full stretch.
Then from the ensuing corner the ball landed at the feet of Amer Abdulrahman just outside the box and he almost caught Ababacar out with a delicate chip, but the scrambling goalkeeper got back in time to tip wide before he again thwarted Colombian Asprilla in a one-on-one duel soon after.
Former Barcelona man Seydou Keita then found Romarinho straight from the restart and the Brazilian burst forward before forcing Eisa to tip over as the Qatari side signalled their intent from the off.
But Al Ain then took the lead in the 57th minute after Omar Abdulrahman played a lovely give-and-go through the middle with Caio to find himself with only Ababacar to beat and he made no mistake in confidently dispatching low into the bottom left corner.
Ten minutes later, though, Sabri Lamouchi’s side restored hope as Keita found Romarinho and the midfielder’s strike from the edge of the area deflected of Ahmed into the back of the net.
And the influential Brazilian then scored in almost identical circumstances low into the bottom right corner on 80 minutes as El Jaish came within a goal of forcing extra time.
Caio deflected narrowly wide in the 84th minute as a nervy finish ensued and Mohamed Abdulrahman’s header was blocked by Ababacar from close in three minutes later.
Mohamed Fayez then threw himself down to block Sardor Rashidov’s strike from the right with three minutes to play.
Brazilian Caio missed a golden opportunity to finish off the tie before Mohamed Abdulrahman equalised at the second attempt four minutes into added time to book Al Ain’s place in the final.