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Etisalat Pro League Round 18 Preview: Top-of-the-table clash dominates proceedings

Round 18 of the Etisalat Pro League will take place on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd March, and though the round serves up many interesting fixtures, there is one in particular that stands out as the two sides at the top end of the table meet in a title showdown to conclude the matches on Sunday.

Getting the round underway at 5:40pm on Saturday, Al Wahda play host to relegation battlers Al Shaab at the Al Nahyan Stadium. Al Wahda have suffered injury setbacks throughout the season, and the latest casualty to add to the list is midfielder Tawfeeq Al Hosani who is ruled out with a cruciate ligament injury. Al Wahda go into the game with 24 points in 7th position, whilst Al Shaab sit just above the drop zone in 12th, and must scrap for every point they can get to secure safety as both sides below them have the same points total of 10.

At 5:45pm on Saturday, Al Dhafra will be visited by Al Wasl at the Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium, as the Dubai-based club’s new coach Eid Baroot looks to keep up the winning start his side made against Ajman in the last round, under his new leadership. Both teams have had plenty of preparation time ahead of the game, as neither participated in any midweek matches on the continent. 8th-placed Al Wasl will hope that last week’s 4-2 victory signifies a change in fortunes and that they can consolidate the result with another three points in Round 18, to add to their current total of 20. Al Dhafra meanwhile sit 11th in the table on 15 points, and will be looking nervously over their shoulders as the three bottom teams have picked up unlikely wins in the past few rounds.

Saturday’s late kick-off sees Al Ahli welcome Kalba to the Rashid Stadium in Dubai at 8:15pm. 4th-placed Al Ahli will not want to let their position in the table slip after a disappointing result at Al Shabab last week allowed their opponents to climb within one point of them in 5th position, so bouncing back with a win will be the only thing on the minds of Quique Flores’ men. Kalba, meanwhile, are riding on the crest of a wave having upset Al Nasr with a worthy 2-1 win in the last round, and the second-from-bottom side will be hoping to carry their momentum forward as they fight to climb out of the relegation spots.

Round 18’s remaining fixtures take place on Sunday, with Dibba Al Fujairah kicking off the day’s proceedings as they entertain third-placed Bani Yas at the Fujairah Stadium at 5:30pm. Bottom-of-the-table Dibba Al Fujairah come into the game in extremely high spirits, having pulled off the shock of the season so far by defeating League leaders and reigning Champions Al Ain on their home turf last week, and Dr. Abdullah Misfer’s men will hope they can pull off another giant-killing, this time in front of their home fans. Bani Yas will be glad to welcome back strikers Andre Senghor and Mohamed Aboutrika for the match, having missed out recently due to minor injuries, with the extra firepower being a positive addition as Bani Yas try to close their current six-point gap behind Al Ain at the top.

At 5:35pm Dubai make the short trip to the Al Maktoum Stadium as they take on Al Nasr, with both sides looking to bounce back from two successive League defeats. Al Nasr will have to cope with returning to League action after a very tough trip to Iran on Wednesday for their AFC Champions League tie with Sepahan, which ended in a 3-1 defeat. Al Nasr need to stop the slide, and having lost two games on the bounce in the League Walter Zenga is coming under pressure from fans, so a home win is a must if he wishes to get back in favour with the crowd.

Ajman’s opponents Al Shabab will have had a close eye on Saturday’s results before taking to the field at the Rashid bin Saeed Stadium at 8:15pm on Sunday, as the outcome of Al Ahli’s result could mean that a win would take Al Shabab up into 4th place. The Champions League challengers had a disappointing start to their continental campaign in midweek, narrowly losing 2-1 at Lekhwiya in Qatar and seeing their impressive 13-game unbeaten run come to an end, but despite the result they still showed a spirited level of performance. Ajman, however, will not want to give up the points as they try to get back into form; the last time they recorded a win was back in Round 13, and the last thing they will want is to be dragged into a relegation dogfight as they currently sit precariously in 10th place on 15 points.

Concluding Round 18 of the Etisalat Pro League is the spotlight-stealing clash between Al Ain and Al Jazira, kicking off at 8:15pm at the Tahnon bin Mohamed Stadium. Following Al Ain’s shock loss at home to Dibba Al Fujairah in Round 17, Al Jazira closed the gap at the top to just three points, so this crucial tie could either open up Al Ain’s lead to nine points again, or cut it right down to a difference of three, ensuring a highly competitive title race for the remainder of the season. Both teams had midweek games to contend with, as Al Jazira were beaten 3-1 by Tractorsazi in Iran on Tuesday night, and Al Ain fared the best of all UAE teams on the continent as they hosted Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal on Wednesday, recording a comprehensive 3-1 victory. The Etisalat Pro League match also signals Luis Milla’s first domestic game in charge since being appointed Al Jazira head coach following Paulo Bonamigo’s sacking after the Abu Dhabi side’s Round 17 match, and the Spaniard will be hoping to secure a memorable first win as boss as he looks to implement a new Spanish playing style to produce good results and entertainment.