Shabab Al-Ahly challenges its absence in the “Dubai Derby” against Al-Nasr

Today, the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Football Cup will be concluded with two prominent confrontations, led by the “Dubai Derby” between Shabab Al-Ahly and its guest Al-Nasr at 16:50 pm at Rashid Stadium, while Al-Jazira will meet its guest Al-Wasl in the evening match at 19:30 pm at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.

Despite the absence of a number of international players from the ranks of Shabab Al-Ahly in particular in the derby, history confirms that confrontations always maintain their competitive nature, regardless of the circumstances of their absences or the nature of the competition.

Shabab Al-Ahly is missing five key international players: Hamad Al-Muqbali, Gaston Suarez, Yahya Al-Ghassani, Sultan Adel (national team), and Saeed Ezzat Allah (Iran national team). On the other hand, Al-Nasr is missing its defender Gustavo Alex after he was called up to the national team roster.

The two teams faced off in 13 matches in the competition, in which the number of victories was tied at 5 for each team, while three matches ended in a draw, which reflects the state of balance that characterized their meetings.

Their previous matches witnessed the scoring of 40 goals, including the historic confrontation that ended in a 5-5 draw, which is still one of the most exciting confrontations in the history of the tournament, noting that Shabab Al-Ahly scored 21 goals against Al-Nasr, compared to 19 goals for the latter.

Shabab Al-Ahly has a distinguished record in the quarter-finals, after playing 14 matches, winning 9 of them, drawing 3, and losing only twice, while Al-Nasr played the same number of matches, during which it achieved 5 victories, tied 5, and lost 4 matches.

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Al Jazeera × Al Wasl

Al Jazira begins the campaign to defend its title with a difficult test when it hosts Al Wasl, in a match that brings together two teams with clear attacking strength and a rich history of direct confrontations in the tournament.

The two sides previously met in 14 matches in the competition, of which Al Jazira prevailed in 7 of them, compared to 4 victories for Al Wasl, while three matches ended in a draw, which gives “Abu Dhabi Pride” a relative advantage in their confrontations.

Al-Jazira Stadium represents an important strength for the team, as it won the last four matches it played at home, and its history in the tournament has not witnessed any draw at its home stadium.

At the quarter-final level, Al Jazira has a balanced record after playing 12 matches, winning 4 of them, drawing 3 and losing 5, while Al Wasl’s results appear relatively better after winning 5 matches, drawing 5, and suffering losses on only two occasions.

The matches of the two teams over the past seasons were characterized by a remarkable abundance of goalscoring, as they witnessed the scoring of 56 goals at a rate of 4 goals per match. Al-Jazira scored 34 goals compared to 22 goals for Al-Wasl, which reflects the well-established offensive character in their confrontations.