First to Score, First to Shine: UAE Pro League’s Five-Round Revelations in Focus
3 octobre 2025
Key findings from five rounds
After five rounds in the ADNOC Pro League, the data shows that the team scoring first tends to determine the outcome.
At the same time, the locations of goals scored and conceded reveal diversity in attacking methods and defensive solidity across clubs.
Looking at teams that opened the scoring, Ajman, Al Ain, Al Dhafra, Al Jazira, Al Wahda, Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, and Kalba all won every match in which they opened the scoring.
Al Nasr and Al Wasl posted solid results with two wins and a draw each, while Dibba Al-Fujairah and Al Bataeh did not benefit from scoring first in their losses—the only times they led were in defeat.
Khorfakkan opened the scoring in four games but only won once; Sharjah won one and lost another after taking the lead.
Defensively, when conceding first, Ajman lost all games, while Al Ain drew only once in the single game they conceded first.
When turning to scoring patterns, Al Ain led the attack with 10 goals, 80% from inside the box; Al Dhafra matched that total but relied more on shots from outside the area (around 30%).
Al Jazira relied heavily on penalties, which formed about 43% of their goals; Al Wasl and Dibba Al-Fujairah scored all their goals from inside the box.
Kalba and Kalba showed some variety in scoring, with goals from outside the box and from penalties, while Shabab Al Ahli Dubai scored most of their goals from inside the box, with one strike from outside.
Sharjah scored 6 goals, including two penalties, while Al Nasr managed 3 goals all from inside the box; Bani Yas was the only team yet to score.
Conceding-wise, Khorfakkan led with 13 conceded, mostly from inside the box plus five from penalties; Dibba Al Fujairah and Al Dhafra also conceded 11 and 10 respectively, while Al Nasr boasted a relatively stout defense with only two conceded.
Al Wasl conceded two goals (one inside, one outside); Al Wahda were the stingiest, with only one goal conceded, from outside the box.
Across the five rounds, 83 goals were scored in total: 47 from open play, 36 from set pieces, with corners contributing 15 and penalties 13.
There were six goals scored in the 90th minute or later, all by away teams; no home team converted late goals in this window.
Three clubs tied for the most different scorers with six players each: Al Wasl, Kalba, and Sharjah; Kalba had the most goals from substitutes (four), with Sharjah next at three.
Despite Al Wasl sitting fifth, they led the scoreboard in roughly 36% of their game time; Al Wahda remained the only team never trailing this season.
Dibba Al Fujairah hasn’t won yet but has produced the most shots on target (23), tied with Al Ain and Kalba; Khorfakkan boasted the highest conversion rate.
To date, 35 league matches have been played: 19 decided by one goal, 7 by two, 2 by three, 1 by four (Al Jazira 4-0 Bani Yas), and 6 draws.
There have been 47 goals from open play, 36 from set pieces; corners accounted for 15 and penalties for 13.
There were six late goals (minute 90 or later) this season, all by away teams, while no home side converted late in this period.
Al Ain FC media
