ABU DHABI (Interstat) — Bruno scored in the 77th minute and Al Jazira held on to beat visiting Ajman 1-0 in a global football match on Thursday. Al Jazira protected the one-goal advantage over the final stretch and kept Ajman from finding an equalizer.

Ajman, the visiting team, worked to keep the game compact and scoreless early. The first notable change came in the 32nd minute when Ajman brought on Azaro W. Al Jazira’s Meloni M. was shown a yellow card in the 38th minute. The opening half produced no goals, and both sides went into the break level despite Al Jazira’s possession and pressure. Ajman’s defensive shape limited clear chances before halftime, while Al Jazira cycled the ball looking for an opening. Al Jazira kept the ball in Ajman’s half for much of the first period, but Ajman’s back line dealt with crosses and set pieces without conceding before the interval.

The second half began with two substitutions in the 46th minute. Al Jazira brought on Mujkic N., and Ajman introduced Zajkov G. Ajman made another change in the 59th minute, replacing Lithierry, then made a further substitution in the 60th minute for Jumaa M. Al Jazira made a change in the 63rd minute, replacing Meloni M. The flurry of substitutions changed the tempo, but neither team found the net until the closing stages. Al Jazira’s Al Hammadi K. received a yellow card in the 58th minute, adding to the match’s disciplinary count. The match remained physical as the second half wore on, with fouls interrupting the flow and both benches using their substitutions to adjust.

Al Jazira finally broke through in the 77th minute when Bruno scored. Bruno’s statline was 79 minutes and one goal. He was substituted in the 79th minute shortly after the goal. Ajman made its own change in the 79th minute, with Victor Hugo entering. Ajman’s Yousif B. was booked in the 84th minute as the visitors pushed for a response. Ajman could not score, and Al Jazira held out for the 1-0 victory. The goal was the only one of the match and came after a long spell of pressure from the home side. Ajman increased its urgency after the goal, but Al Jazira’s defense and game management kept the visitors from creating a finishing chance.

The result left Al Jazira with 1 win and 0 losses in the competition this season and 8 wins, 0 losses and 3 draws across all competitions. Ajman is now 0 wins and 1 loss in the competition and 7 wins and 4 losses across all competitions. Al Jazira also had won the teams’ previous meeting this season, beating Ajman 3-0. Ajman had entered the match with seven wins across all competitions, while Al Jazira remained unbeaten overall. The competition loss was Ajman’s fourth defeat across all competitions this season. The result made it two wins in two meetings this season for Al Jazira.

Ajman’s recent form across all competitions included wins over Erbil SC, Bani Yas, Al Ain, Al Sharjah, Al Nasr CSC, Hatta and Al Wahda, along with losses to Al Sharjah, Kalba SCC and Al Jazira before this match. Al Jazira’s recent run across all competitions included wins over Arkadag, Khorfakkan, Al Wahda, Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai, Ajman, Sharjah FC and Hatta, plus draws with Ittihad Kalba, Al Sharjah and Al Nasr CSC. Ajman is next scheduled to face Al Ain, followed by matches against Baniyas, Shabab Al Ahli, United, KhorFakkan S&CC, Al Wasl SC and Al Dhafra SCC.

In pregame projections, Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Al Jazira 2, Ajman 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Al Jazira with an 82.8 percent probability to win. Al Jazira had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 1 went over the over/under line of 3.5.