Al Wasl face Al Nasr test
dubai — League leaders Al Wasl face an uphill task in maintaining their unbeaten run in the Arabian Gulf League when they face Al Nasr in a ‘Bur Dubai derby’ without two suspended foreign stars Fabio de Lima and Caio Canedo.
The UAE FA on Wednesday slapped a two-match suspension on both the Al Wasl foreign players for an offensive video that went viral.
The Cheetahs have dropped just four points in the first six rounds of the pro league this season but two Abu Dhabi teams are breathing down their neck with Al Ain on a par with them at 14 points and Al Wahda on 13.
While Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s men have a tough clash against middle of the table Al Nasr, Al Ain also travel to Abu Dhabi for an equally challenging match against third-placed Al Wahda. It is going to be a close fight over next three days to stay on top among the three top of the table teams.
On the other hand, the cellar teams clash against each other to improve their chances of staying in the pro league. On Thursday seventh placed Dibba host Hatta, who are languishing at the 11th spot in the 12-team league. Hosts Dibba will aim to bounce back after their 2-3 defeat to Al Wasl in the sixth round last week while Hatta try to add to their three points after backto-back defeats to Al Nasr and Al Jazira in the last two rounds.
Winless Sharjah play their first home game at the Khaled bin Mohammed Stadium on Friday against Emirates. The hosts are revitalised under new coach Abdulaziz Al Anbari and have picked up two points from their last two drawn games against tougher opponents in Shabab Al Ahli Dubai and Al Ain.
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai haven’t done well under the new banner and run into reigning champions Al Jazira, who are struggling to find the rhythm that gave them their second Pro league title last season.
With a home advantage at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, the Abu Dhabi team would look to continue winning streak after their 3-2 away win over bottom-placed Hatta last week.