Nicolás Giménez scores twice in Jeddah as the Emirates sweep into early pole position in Group B
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia : The United Arab Emirates launched their 27th Arabian Gulf Cup campaign in emphatic fashion on Thursday night, dismantling Yemen 4-0 at Alinma Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City.
An attacking clinic from the opening whistle put Paulo Bento’s side firmly in command of Group B, underpinned by a brace from midfielder Nicolás Giménez and a relentless collective tempo that Yemen struggled to contain.
The Emirates broke through in the 26th minute when Giménez found space just inside the penalty area, driving an accurate low finish past Yemeni goalkeeper Mohammed Khairalah. Yemen’s defensive organization unravelled further ten minutes later. Winger Marcus Meloni whipped a dangerous delivery across the six-yard box, prompting an errant touch from defender Nader Sahl, who diverted the ball into his own net.
With Yemen pinned deep in their defensive third, the UAE struck a decisive blow four minutes into first-half stoppage time. Midfielder Luan Pereira latched onto an incisive through ball, finishing calmly from close range to give the Emiratis a commanding 3-0 cushion heading into the interval.
The second half brought little respite for Yemen. Seven minutes after the restart, Giménez sealed his brace, arriving late at the far post to tuck away the UAE’s fourth following an intricate build-up sequence down the right flank.
The comfortable margin allowed Bento to rotate his squad through the final half-hour, managing player workloads in humid conditions while preserving defensive shape to secure a clean sheet. Yemen mustered occasional counter-attacks, but UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa remained largely untroubled throughout the 90 minutes.
The victory earns the UAE three points and an immediate goal difference advantage at the summit of Group B. They now turn their focus to a sterner test on Sunday, facing Bahrain at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium, while Yemen look to regroup ahead of their fixture against Qatar.
