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Etisalat Pro League Round 20 Preview: Clubs back in League action

Friday and Saturday see the Etisalat Pro League swing back into action after a three-week hiatus, but the break from the League has not given players any chance to rest as they have participated in AFC Champions League, Etisalat Cup and international matches in the meantime.

Kicking off Round 20 at 5:55pm on Friday, Al Jazira host Al Wasl at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium. Al Jazira have been one of the busiest teams since the last round, playing against Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia in the AFC Champions League and completing two fixtures in the Etisalat Cup, the last of which saw them defeat Al Wahda 2-1 with a late winner from Ali Mabkhout in the semis to make it through to the final of the competition. They also saw five UAE national team players head off to a training camp during the international break, three of whom – Ali Khaseif, Khamis Esmail and Ali Mabkhout – played in the UAE’s 2-1 win over Uzbekistan. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Al Wasl were one of the few teams who had the chance to catch their breath, having not played a competitive fixture for 22 days, and Eid Baroot will be hoping that the freshness of his 9th-placed side will be advantageous over the tired legs of Al Jazira, who occupy 4th position in the League after letting second spot slip with a poor run of form. The Abu Dhabi side, however, will be buoyed from their progression to the Etisalat Cup final; a game which signified their first win since Spanish coach Luis Milla took the reigns at the club.

At 6pm, Kalba will make the long trip to Al Dhafra’s Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium in the hope of collecting some points on their travels to boost their chances of survival. The Sharjah-based club currently sits at the bottom of the League on 10 points, whilst Al Dhafra are 8th with 21 points. Kalba suffered a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Ajman in the previous round, whilst Al Dhafra won away with an impressive 2-0 victory at Al Shabab.

The Al Maktoum Stadium will witness 6th-placed Al Nasr take on 2nd-placed Bani Yas at 8:30pm, with both teams having been in Cup and continental action since the last round of the Etisalat Pro League. Al Nasr were unlucky to lose in the AFC Champions League against Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, and fielded mainly a Reserve team side in their Etisalat Cup fixture four days later due to the fact that they could not qualify regardless of the result. Their last League fixture ended in a 1-1 draw away at Al Shaab, leaving them with a points total of 29 currently. Bani Yas, meanwhile, are proving somewhat of a dark horse in the title race, having quietly crept up to become Al Ain’s closest chasers at the top of the table. Since their last League game – a 1-1 draw against Al Wahda – they have played in Bahrain in the GCC Cup and faced Kalba in the Etisalat Cup four days later, so both teams have had a similar schedule during the League downtime. Bani Yas will hope to be able to welcome Egyptian star Mohamed Aboutrika back into contention as the striker has resumed training following injury.

Also at 8:30pm, League leaders Al Ain will host Al Shabab at the Tahnoun bin Mohamed Stadium as they look to continue their charge towards retaining the Etisalat Pro League title. Following a hard-fought 2-1 win away at Al Wasl in Round 19, Al Ain suffered a tough away defeat at Iran’s Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League, and fielded an entirely different starting eleven for their Etisalat Cup fixture two weeks ago, as progression was out of their reach. Asamoah Gyan has returned to the club following international duty with Ghana but will have to wait for an assessment on the injury he picked up whilst away, but there is good news in that playmaker Omar Abdulrahman is now back in training after sitting out the UAE’s win against Uzbekistan with a knee problem. Al Shabab have had a busy three weeks since their surprising 2-0 home defeat to Al Dhafra in Round 19 of the League, hosting Pakhtakor in the AFC Champions League and playing two Etisalat Cup fixtures, losing to Ajman in the semi-final on Monday night to be knocked out of the competition. Al Ain top the table with 46 points, and Al Shabab sit 5th with a tally of 30.

The first of Saturday’s three games kicks off at 5:45pm, with Dibba Al Fujairah welcoming Al Wahda. Dibba Al Fujairah have a lot of work to do to secure their status in the Etisalat Pro League, as they currently find themselves second from bottom in the table on 11 points, but a dramatic 3-3 draw away at Al Jazira in Round 19 provided them with an unexpected point on the road. Al Wahda, who are 7th in the League with 28 points, were disappointed to be knocked out of the Etisalat Cup by Al Jazira in Monday night’s semi-final, and will hope to bounce back with a win in the League.

At 5:50pm, Ajman host Dubai, and the home side are riding on the crest of a wave having secured their place in the Etisalat Cup final with a 2-1 away win at Al Shabab on Monday evening. Ajman’s last League game three weeks ago ended in a 3-0 victory against Kalba, leaving them 11th in the League on 19 points and creating more breathing space between them and the bottom three clubs. Dubai were on the receiving end of a 6-3 drubbing by Al Ahli in Round 19 and need to stop the rot in the League following a bad run of recent form that has left them 10th in the League on the same points tally as their opponents. Rene Marsiglia’s team did manage a 2-0 win in the Etisalat Cup, which may prove to be a turning point, although the victory came against a mainly second-string Al Nasr side.

Concluding the round at 8:30pm on Saturday, Al Ahli host Al Shaab at the Rashid Stadium and Quique Flores’ team will look to continue their flair going forward, whilst shoring up their defense. Al Ahli brushed aside Dubai with aplomb in Round 19, putting six past the hapless side, but the result was marred slightly by conceding three late goals. UAE national team attackers Ahmed Khalil and Ismael Al Hammadi will return to the fold having both served one-match suspensions in the previous round, giving Flores a selection headache with many striking options to choose from. Al Ahli have a real chance at securing a Champions League spot as they currently sit 3rd in the League on 36 points, whilst Al Shaab are struggling to keep their heads above water in 12th place on 11 points.