7 teams are threatened with relegation…and Sharjah is in danger

The competition to escape relegation in the Professional Football League reached an unprecedented stage at the end of the 18th round, as the identity of the two teams that will be relegated to the first division is still completely mysterious.

This season is witnessing a strong competition that the competition has not seen in years, as seven teams share the same concern, and are only separated by seven points, in a scene that reflects the amount of pressure and the strength of the struggle before the final third of the season, as Kalba (20 points), Khor Fakkan (19 points), Al Dhafra (18 points), Sharjah (17 points), and Bani Yas (14 points), and the two relegation places so far: Dibba (13 points), and Al Bataeh (13 points).

For the first time in a long time, the Amal team did not lose survival early, but all the threatened teams still have chances to survive, which makes the calculations of each team change from one match to the next, and the greatest irony emerges with the presence of a team the size of Sharjah, the holder of the AFC Champions League title (2), in the circle of danger, as it is only four points away from last place, in a clear indication that the differences have narrowed, and that the identity of the big and small teams has become relative compared to what they offer on the field.

There were four main reasons behind the strength of the competition to survive, and the difficulty of predicting the outcome of any match, led by the close technical levels between the teams, the quality of foreign and resident players, the high level of goalkeepers and the defense line, in addition to the good technical choices of the teams.

Every match for the seven teams now has a fateful character, making three points a golden value no less important than being at the top of the league.

In light of this pressure, the strength of competition between the seven teams struggling to survive has increased, as the picture appears unclear and unpredictable, especially since a loss to a direct competitor may drop a team to the last places, while a victory may raise it three places at once. Technical indicators confirm that the public is facing one of the most intense versions of the struggle for survival, and that the two teams that will be relegated will not be known until the last weeks.

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Abdul Rahman Muhammad: Relegation this season is unpredictable

The technical analyst and former national team captain, Abdul Rahman Muhammad, confirmed that the relegation struggle this season is considered the most complex in recent years, noting that the great closeness between the seven teams made the technical and point differences almost non-existent.

Abdul Rahman Muhammad told Emirates Today: “We are talking about seven teams within the danger zone, and this is a rare thing in the league. The differences are very small, and relegation is open to all possibilities. The second round has already begun, and yet you cannot be sure which team is close to survival or is a candidate for relegation.”

Abdul Rahman Muhammad added that the quality of foreign and resident players had a direct impact on this unusual picture, and said: “Today, every team has two or three foreign and resident players who make the difference, and this made the teams at the bottom of the table not weak as was the case in previous seasons. This development created homogeneity in the general level, and increased the difficulty of prediction.” He explained, “Round 18 means that we are entering a very sensitive stage. Every loss against a direct competitor may be a turning point, and every win gives a big boost, so we will see a struggle until the last round, and the two teams that will relegate will not be known until shortly before the end.”

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Reasons for the strength of competition to survive

. Convergence of technical levels.

. Quality of foreigners and residents.

. High level of goalkeepers and defense.

. Good technical choices for teams.