Al Ain and Shabab Al Ahly.. “The Decisive Classico”

Excitement will reach its peak, at 8:30 pm today, when Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium hosts the “Clásico Al Decisive” confrontation between Al Ain, the leader of the professional football league, and its direct pursuer, Shabab Al Ahly, within the 22nd round, in a summit whose value exceeds the three-point limit, to clearly define the features of the season’s champion.

The confrontation comes at a very sensitive time, as one point separates the two giants, which may make the winner of the match get his hands on the title, with only four rounds remaining at the finish line, a scenario that doubles the excitement that accompanies all “El Clásico” matches.

The match bears the number 34 in the history of confrontations between the two teams that won the most titles, as the balance tilted relatively in favor of Al Ain with 14 victories compared to 10 for Shabab Al Ahly, while a draw was attended on nine occasions, and the “Violet” scored 54 goals compared to 39 for the “Dubai Knights.”

The hosts enter the match leading with 53 points, and are supported by remarkable technical stability and the completeness of their ranks, especially with the return of their playmaker, Alejandro Kaku, at a time when the positive atmosphere was strengthened by the decision to extend the contract of the Serbian coach, Vladimir Ivic, until 2028, in a move that reflects the management’s confidence and its bet on continuity in the decisive stage.

Ivic expressed his happiness at extending his contract, which would have expired this season. He also explained the readiness of the “Purple Blues” to fight the confrontation, stressing that his team had reached this stage through long work, stressing that the winning mentality would not change, and considering that the competition had become practically limited to only two teams.

The team is experiencing an unprecedented situation in terms of exceptional positive results, as it stands on the cusp of a historic achievement, after equaling the longest unbeaten streak in the history of the league (28 matches), which is the record recorded by Al-Jazira in the 2010 and 2011 seasons, which gives the confrontation an additional dimension represented by the opportunity to hold the record.

On the other hand, Shabab Al-Ahly enters the confrontation with 52 points, making victory the only option to regain the lead, while a draw will keep the advantage in favor of Al-Ain, especially after the latter’s superiority in the first leg.

While the team suffers from a number of challenges due to absences, most notably the suspension of the duo, Nemanja Maksimovic and Saeed Ezzatullah, the team has elements capable of turning the equation around, as was evident in previous matches.

The team’s coach, Portuguese Paulo Sousa, said in the press conference before the match that the absences in his ranks represent a challenge for them, but at the same time it is an opportunity to find alternative solutions and give other players the opportunity to prove their abilities.

The team has a set of weapons, the most important of which is the solidity of the defense line in the league, as it conceded only eight goals, which is the strongest in the competition, in addition to leaving in 13 matches with a clean sheet, and its defense line succeeded in scoring eight goals, in a clear indication of the integration between the defensive and offensive roles.

Baniyas – Sharjah

At 5:55 p.m., Baniyas Stadium will be the stage for the confrontation between Baniyas and its guest, Sharjah, in a match in which the two teams will search for victory to enhance their chances of staying longer and staying away from danger, especially for the home owners.

The home team witnessed an improvement in the level of results in the previous period, which placed the team in 11th place with 21 points, as it had achieved two victories in the last two matches in the tournament.

The hosts enter the confrontation in the absence of their star Sohail Al-Noubi, who was suspended with a red card in the 1-2 loss to Khor Fakkan, but in return they regain the services of midfielder Yahya Nader, after serving the suspension penalty after being sent off in the Al-Wahda match in round 19.

On the other hand, Al-Malik, which is in eighth place with 24 points, is looking for a greater recovery after its victory over Al-Wasl in the last round, but it has not achieved two consecutive victories this season except once, which was last January against Kalba and Al-Dhafra, respectively.

The team loses the efforts of its player Majed Sorour, who is suspended after receiving a red card in the 2-1 victory over Al-Wasl, but the team’s coach, the Portuguese Jose Maurice, has many options to compensate for the absence.