Shavy Babicka made a spectacular entrance to the Adnoc Pro League, coming off the bench to score twice and spearhead United’s dominant 4-1 victory over Kalba during matchweek three. After a scoreless and cagey first half, the introduction of Babicka after the break completely shifted the momentum, sparking a four-goal second-half surge that also featured contributions from Willy Semedo and Maouhoub.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 69th minute. Babicka timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap, latching onto a precise through ball before cutting inside to calmly slot the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper. United quickly built on that lead, with Semedo adding a second. After his initial attempt to square the ball to Maouhoub was blocked, the ball rebounded back to him, allowing Semedo to fire home his third league goal of the season.
Babicka then solidified his impact with his second goal of the night. Following an excellent pass from Maouhoub that sliced through the Kalba defense, Babicka raced clear and unleashed a powerful, swerving left-footed strike into the bottom-left corner to extend the lead to 3-0. Although Kalba managed to pull one back in the first minute of stoppage time through Ahmad Noorollah—who converted a clever short pass from Saman Ghoddos—United responded immediately. Gueye squared the ball to Maouhoub, who applied a clinical finish to restore the three-goal cushion and finalize the 4-1 scoreline.
The result highlighted United’s tactical superiority in the second half, with Babicka providing the direct pace that had been missing, while Maouhoub proved instrumental by recording both a goal and an assist. This statement win leaves United in a strong position as the league campaign progresses.
The Adnoc Pro League action continues this Saturday with several key fixtures. Al Jazira will host Ajman at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium at 17:55, featuring two sides that both currently hold perfect records with six points from their opening two matches. Simultaneously, Khorfakkan will face Al Dhafra at the Saqr Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Stadium. Both teams are desperate for their first points of the season, with Al Dhafra currently sitting in 13th place and Khorfakkan at the bottom of the table with a goal difference of -6.
The headline clash of the day takes place at 20:30, as Al Ain welcomes Al Nasr to the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium. Al Ain enters the match in third place with six points, while Al Nasr sits sixth with four points from a win and a draw.
History favors the hosts in this encounter; the two clubs have met 34 times in the Pro League, with Al Ain securing 21 victories compared to eight for Al Nasr, alongside five draws. Notably, Al Ain has recorded more wins against the Dubai club than any other team in league history.
Confidence remains high for Al Ain, who are currently unbeaten in their last 20 Pro League home matches—a streak that began with a 4-1 win over Al Nasr in January 2025. Furthermore, Al Ain maintains an impeccable record in August, having never lost a league match during the month. A victory on Saturday would mark the seventh time the club has opened a Pro League campaign with three consecutive wins. The report also notes that after a cagey opening 45 minutes ended goalless, Babicka’s introduction after the break transformed the contest, with Willy Semedo and Maouhoub also finding the net as United scored four times in a devastating second-half performance. The report also notes that while their 21 wins against Al Nasr represent the highest number of victories recorded by any team against the Dubai club in Pro League history, they have registered 12 victories and one draw.
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