Arabian Gulf League football writer Ahmed Rizvi offers his predictions for Round 15 of AGL action.
Baniyas 3-0 Kalba Having held Al Nasr to a goalless draw at home in the last round, despite the absence of six key players, including three foreigners, Baniyas will be high on confidence and looking for a big win against the whipping boys of the league, Kalba.
Fujairah 2-4 Al Jazira Buoyed by their 2-1 win at Emirates in the last round, will be hoping to take advantage of Jazira's defensive frailties and inch further away from the relegation battles. If they needed any further encouragement, the 2-2 draw at Jazira should come in handy. So Eric Gerets will be a bit wary of this tie, but the AGL leader's frightening firepower should come to their rescue once again.
Al Wahda 2-0 Emirates Not really fluent in their 1-0 win at Kalba, Wahda will be keen to gather some momentum when they host the club from Ras Al Khaimah, with difficult matches against Baniyas, Sharjah, Al Shabab and Al Wasl to follow in the next four rounds. They have enough quality in their squad to get the job donew against a team, who lost at home to Fujairah in the last round and will be missing its best player Luiz Henrique, who received a red a card in that loss.
Al Shabab 1-2 Al Ahli Missing Henrique Luvannor and Hassan Amin through suspension for the trip to Al Ain, Shabab will be without key midfielder Azizbek Haydarov when they host their city rivals. Haydarov received a red card for a silly hand-ball in Al Ain and that dopiness could cost them in this game as well.
Sharjah 1-1 Al Nasr Drubbed 4-1 in the Arabian Gulf Cup final by the same opponents, Sharjah will be looking for revenge at home, but the lack of firepower in the squad could be an obstacle. Rodriguinho's suspension, following his red card at Ahli, will make it even tougher for them. However, the brilliance of goalkeeper Mohammed Yousuf could rescue a point for them.
Ajman 1-2 Al Dhafra After four consecutive seasons in the top division, Ajman seem to have finally run out of steam. They have only three points from their last seven matches, courtesy a win over at Emirates, and Dhafra, on a high following their 3-1 win over Al Wasl, look very capable of adding to their woes.
Al Wasl 1-3 Al Ain The hosts will be hoping Asamoah Gyan's return from the African Cup is delayed. Missing defender Hassan Zahran, who received a red card at Dhafra, Wasl will not be too enthusiastic about confronting an Al Ain team that includes a rested Omar Abdulrahman and Gyan. Amoori, alone, could be enough trouble for them.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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