Al Ain challenges the “Super King”… Al Wasl clashes with Al Wahda

The ADNOC Professional Football League Championship enters a pivotal phase with the start of the 11th round, which will be held over two days, and will witness seven matches, four of which today and three tomorrow, at a time when the ambitions of the leading teams searching to establish their footing in the title race intersect with the efforts of the bottom clubs to escape from the pressures of the late positions at the beginning of the year 2026, as the margins of error shrink and the value of each point increases.

Al Ain – Sharjah

At 19:45, all eyes will turn to Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, where Al Ain will welcome its guest, Sharjah, who are finally ecstatic to have been crowned Super Cup champions at the expense of Shabab Al Ahly.

“The Leader” enters the match at the top of the standings with 24 points, continuing its series of positive results, while “The King” is entering the confrontation from a difficult position, and is in 12th place with only seven points, which doubles the importance of the match for both parties, even if the motives differ.

Historical numbers reveal Al Ain’s relative superiority in direct confrontations, as it won 14 out of 30 matches it played in Sharjah, compared to the latter’s six victories and 10 draws.

Al Ain also did not lose in the last seven matches against Sharjah in the league, while Al Sharjah has a remarkable record in the month of January, as it did not suffer a loss in the last nine matches it played during this month, maintaining clean sheets in five of them.

The match highlights the attacking struggle between Laba Kodjo and Kayo Lucas, who has the most scoring influence in the history of the two teams’ confrontations.

Al Wasl – Al Wahda

The confrontation between Al-Wasl and its guest Al-Wahda, which will be held at 16:55, at Zabeel Stadium, is no less important than the Al-Ain and Sharjah summit, because of its direct dimensions in the race for leadership.

Al-Wasl occupies fourth place with 18 points, while Al-Wahda enters the match in second place with 21 points, with a postponed match, setting its sights on continuing the historic unbeaten streak that has reached 21 matches.

The two teams’ confrontations are characterized by a clear rivalry, as they drew 10 out of the 32 matches they had in the professional league, with Al-Wahda having a relative superiority in the number of victories.

The two teams go into the match with a distinguished record at home and away, as Al-Wasl did not lose in the last 11 home matches, compared to a similar series for Al-Wahda away from home.

Their confrontations were known for their abundance of goals, as they did not witness any scoreless draw, and with a high scoring rate that reflects the nature of the open conflict between the two sides.

Khor Fakkan – Al Dhafra

Khor Fakkan will host its counterpart, Al Dhafra, at 16:45, at Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Stadium, in an equal confrontation at the ranking level, as Khor Fakkan occupies tenth place with 11 points, compared to 12 points for Al Dhafra in eighth place.

Despite the closeness in points and the standings of the two sides, the numbers give Khor Fakkan a historical advantage at home, as it won the last three home matches against Al Dhafra, scoring 12 goals.

On the other hand, Al Dhafra enters the match burdened with a negative record away from home, being the only team that did not score any point away from home this season.

Baniyas – Al Nasr

Baniyas will play its match against its guest Al-Nassr, at 19:45, at Al-Shamkha Stadium with renewed morale, after its last victory, which came at the expense of Al-Dhafra 2-0, but it is still in 11th place with seven points, while Al-Nasr enters the match sixth with 15 points, seeking to strengthen its position and get closer to the leading teams.

The direct confrontations indicate a clear superiority for Al-Nasr historically, but Bani Yas has a moral advantage at home, as it has not lost to Al-Ameed in the last six matches at home.