Al-Wahda is on a date with the top of the league

Al Wahda will have the opportunity to temporarily take the top spot in the ADNOC Professional Football League, when it visits Dibba today, at 16:40, in the eighth round, with the possibility of remaining at the top until the end of the current year, specifically until December 20, the date of the next round that will be held after the international break, if it obtains a favor from its neighbor Al Jazira by defeating Al Ain tomorrow at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.

Under the leadership of Portuguese coach, Jose Moraes, Al-Wahda is performing at its best levels in years, as it occupies second place with 17 points without any loss, behind leaders Al-Ain, which has 19 points.

“Al-Anabi” has a chance to equal its longest streak of unbeaten in the league (20 matches between January and December 2014), after it has currently reached 19 matches without defeat (12 wins and seven draws), and has not lost in the last 27 matches in all competitions (17 wins and 10 draws).

Today’s confrontation against Dibba comes with a historical record that is in the interest of Al-Wahda, as “The Excellencies” did not lose to their competitor in 12 matches (they won 10 times and tied twice).

On the other hand, Dibba, which is in second-to-last place with one point, will be required to raise its attacking efficiency, as despite being the second team with the most shots on goal this season with 33 shots, its scoring tally stopped at only eight goals.

Al Nasr x Al Dhafra

Al-Nasr finds itself in a position where it cannot bear a new loss when, at 16:40, it receives its guest Al-Dhafra at Al Maktoum Stadium, after a negative series that witnessed its defeat in five of the last nine matches at home, which is the same number of losses that it received in 28 full matches previously.

The Dean collected only eight points in the first seven rounds, a score five points lower than in the same round last season.

Historically, the two teams have met in 26 matches, of which Al-Nasr won 13, against Al-Dhafra’s three and 10 draws. Al-Dhafra’s goal is the favorite of Al-Nasr players, with 51 goals, a tally similar to its goals against Al-Wasl and Al-Jazira.

In turn, Al Dhafra is experiencing its best start in years, after collecting 12 points in the first seven rounds, a number equivalent to all the points it earned in its last season in the professional league (2022-2023), before being relegated to the first division.

Sharjah x Baniyas

All eyes will be on the national coach, Abdul Majeed Al-Nimr, in his first test with Sharjah, succeeding Serbian Milos Milojevic, when Sharjah receives Bani Yas at 19:30 at Sharjah Stadium, in a match bearing a fateful character for both teams. Al-Nimr took over the job amid complex circumstances after the team fell to 11th place with only seven points, compared to 18 points after the seventh round last season, but he pledged in the press conference before the match to return the team to its normal place, and it gathered 26 points. A match between the two sides in the league championship, where Sharjah won 14 matches, compared to six for Bani Yas, and drew six, but the “King”, which always relied on its home ground against competitors, lacked this advantage, as in its last seven home matches, it lost four and achieved three victories.

On the other hand, Baniyas is experiencing its worst start by earning only one point in the first seven rounds, which is the same number it achieved in the 2016-2017 season, and it is also the only team that did not score outside its home this season.