UAE’s Al Ain secured a 6-2 victory over Auckland City, advancing to the second round of the newly introduced FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
The match, held at Al Ain’s home stadium, was a thrilling contest, with the Emirati giants showing dominance throughout.
Fabio Cardoso opened the scoring for Al Ain in the 6th minute, followed by Seiko Gassama’s strike in the 11th.
Although Auckland City fought back, reducing the deficit through Gerson Lagos in the 43rd minute, Matías Palacios restored Al Ain’s two-goal advantage just before halftime.
Auckland scored again in the second half through Bevan, but Al Ain sealed their emphatic win with two goals from substitute Soufiane Rahimi and a stunning long-range shot from Kaku.
With this win, Al Ain moves on to face Al Ahly on October 29 at Cairo International Stadium.
The FIFA Intercontinental Cup is a new competition that is set to replace the traditional FIFA Club World Cup, with continental champions competing to secure the championship.
Tournament Format:
- First Stage:
- The competition begins with the continental champions of Asia and Oceania facing off. In this case, Al Ain, the AFC Champions League winner, played Auckland City, the OFC Champions League winner.
- Second Stage:
- The second round sees the winner of the first stage take on Al Ahly, the African Champions League winners, for a spot in the next round.
- Third Stage (Playoff Round):
- The next stage features the South American champions facing the North American champions, in a single match held in Doha.
- The winner of this game will face the victor of Al Ahly vs. Al Ain in a decisive playoff match on December 14, 2024, also in Doha.
- Final:
- The winner of the playoff will face Real Madrid, the UEFA Champions League winners, in the final match on December 18, 2024, at Lusail Stadium in Doha.