At 8pm today, all eyes will be on Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, which will be the stage for the Al Ain vs. Al Wasl match in the opening of the fourth round of the ADNOC Professional Football League, in a popular “classico” that promises to be entertaining, and a strong rehearsal for both teams before turning the local page and opening the “Asian” with the matches of the second round of the AFC Champions League (Elite), in which “Al Zaeem” will face its host Al Gharafa of Qatar, while “Al Emperor” will host Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia, led by its English star Ivan Toney. Both teams are experiencing stability, as Al Ain occupies the seventh place with four points (it has a postponed match against Kalba), and will enter the match intoxicated by qualifying for the second round of the Confederations Cup with its 6-2 victory over Auckland of New Zealand, while Al Wasl climbed to third place with seven points, after turning a one-goal deficit into a 3-1 victory over its neighbor Al Nasr in the “Bur Dubai Derby”.
Any result other than a win over Al Wasl in today’s match will double the pressure on Argentine coach Hernan Crespo, who despite his good results since the beginning of the season, his popularity is still low among a segment of his team’s fans, which may change in the event of a victory over the title holder in today’s match.
While it has been officially confirmed that midfielder Yahya Nader and central defender Khaled Al-Hashemi will be absent from the match, doubts still surround the position of striker Laba Kodjo and defender Kwame Otoi, due to their lack of full readiness.
“What Al Ain needs to win is readiness,” said Argentine coach Crespo in the press conference before the match, stressing at the same time that “the match will not be easy,” adding: “It will be a strong match, they are the champions of the competition, and a team that is difficult to face. Our opponent is a big team, and they play well. The match is at our stadium and in front of our fans, and we are also at a good level, and the morale of our team is high, especially after the previous match in the Confederations Cup, and we have to dedicate the victory over Al Wasl to our fans.”
On the other hand, the “Emperor”, with its distinguished Serbian coach Milos Milojevic, who is seeking to defend his title, is preparing for a match that will not be without difficulty. He has shown high technical capabilities by building a cohesive lineup, with diverse sources of danger, and capable of turning the tables at any time by investing in half chances.
The Serbian coach praised Al Ain team in the press conference before the match, saying: “Al Ain is the best team in the league, and our team must go to the field and do its best, and have a high level of concentration and enthusiasm, in order to achieve a positive result,” adding: “The previous matches are in the past, and we have turned the page on them, and we must focus on today’s match.”
In the other match, Sharjah, who are leading the standings with a “full mark”, will be a heavy guest on their neighbor Al Bataeh at 17:20 this afternoon at Khalid bin Mohammed Stadium, in a match that is not without rivalry. While the home team had regained their balance in the previous round by winning away from home against Dibba Al-Hisn 2-1, and reaching the fourth point in eighth place, “the King” is experiencing a state of stability by winning the first three rounds in the competition, which enabled them to remain in the lead by goal difference over Shabab Al Ahli.
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