Dubai United Edged 4-3 by Sharjah in Thrilling Round Four Encounter

Dubai United suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat away to Sharjah on Saturday evening at Sharjah Stadium in Round Four of the ADNOC Pro League, following a thrilling contest that saw the momentum shift several times and remained fiercely competitive until the closing stages.

Dubai United produced a spirited and competitive performance against the hosts, showing character to fight their way back into the contest on more than one occasion. However, a penalty awarded to Sharjah in the 88th minute ultimately proved decisive, with Dubai United’s players expressing their disagreement with the decision.

Strong Response and Attacking Display

Sharjah made a strong start and took the lead, but Dubai United responded quickly through Adel Wajdan, who headed home a superb equaliser in the 15th minute to bring his side back into the contest.

The hosts later regained the advantage, before Anis Karimi struck Dubai United’s second goal in the final minute of the first half, keeping the visitors firmly in contention heading into the break.

Karimi continued his impressive performance after the restart, scoring his second of the night and Dubai United’s third in the 49th minute to restore parity and underline the team’s attacking threat.

The contest remained open as both sides pushed for the decisive goal. The defining moment eventually arrived in the 88th minute when Sharjah were awarded a penalty. The hosts converted from the spot to score their fourth goal and secure all three points.

Pirlo: We Deserve Respect

Speaking after the match, Dubai United head coach Andrea Pirlo praised his players for maintaining their philosophy and identity despite the result, highlighting the mentality shown by the team throughout the contest.

“We are always in the game and we play well because we have one philosophy and one mentality in the way we play, and we showed that again today,” Pirlo said.

The Italian also addressed several refereeing decisions during the match and expressed his disappointment with a number of incidents.

“It is not only about the penalty. If we look back at the first half, from the beginning of the game, Anis’ yellow card and some other situations, it is clear that we feel disappointed. Last week, we also had a valid goal that was not given,” he said.

“Today, the referee did not go to VAR to review some situations, while he went to review this one and a penalty was awarded. From my point of view, it was not clear.”

Pirlo also stressed that Dubai United deserve respect for the character and unity they continue to demonstrate on the pitch.

“We are a small team, but we deserve respect. We are not Sharjah, but we are Dubai United, and for that reason we deserve respect,” he said.

Pirlo: We Have to Defend Better

Looking ahead, Pirlo emphasised that the season is still in its early stages but acknowledged that improving defensively will be an important focus for the team.

“The season has just started and we still have all the games ahead of us. We have to improve a lot because we have conceded too many goals in four matches,” he said.

Pirlo concluded by highlighting the importance of finding a better balance between Dubai United’s attacking quality and defensive organisation.

“We had chances to score, but it is also important not to concede. If you want to stay in the game and compete until the end, we have to defend better.”

Despite the result, Dubai United once again demonstrated their ability to compete and respond in difficult moments, with Karimi scoring twice and Wajdan also finding the net. The team will now look to build on the attacking positives while focusing on improving its defensive organisation ahead of the upcoming fixtures.