ABU DHABI // Al Jazira host Emirates at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday in what looks like a lopsided contest on paper.
Jazira are the Arabian Gulf League leaders, while Emirates are second bottom – just four points above Baniyas.
The Abu Dhabi side enjoy an eight-point lead over second-placed Al Wasl, with eight games left to play, while their opponents are fighting desperately to stave off relegation.
The home side have not lost a league match in their backyard all season, while the team from Ras Al Khaimah have won just one away game in 2016/17.
Yet manager Henk ten Cate refused to get ahead of himself and discuss his side’s title prospects, preferring, instead, to focus on the game.
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“We respect Emirates as we would respect any leading AGL teams like Al Ahli or Al Ain,” Ten Cate said. “It’s more or less, every week, the same story. It’s a very difficult game, it really is.”
The Dutchman said he had good reason to not underestimate this Emirates side.
“They are one of the very few teams that took a point from us,” said Ten Cate, referring to the 1-1 away draw in November, “and even in the [Arabian Gulf] Cup we trailed 2-0 before winning 4-2.
“They are a team we shouldn’t underestimate even if they are not so high in the table. They beat Al Shabab 4-0. We have to be cautious and concentrate, and do our work. We can take the three points.”
Another advantage for Ten Cate is, barring Khalfan Mubarak, he will have a full-strength squad at his disposal. Emirati winger Mubarak has only recently returned from knee injury, which played up again in the second half of Jazira’s 3-1 victory over Baniyas last week.
Ten Cate praised his players for pulling together in any given situation during the season.
“Nobody complains of the role they are given on the pitch because we don’t have a big pool of players,” he said.
“We have kept shuffling them from their usual playing roles. Still they are prepared to do it for the team.”
In today’s other games, Jazira’s title rivals Al Ahli and Al Ain travel to Hatta and Al Shabab, respectively.
Third-placed Ahli beat Hatta 6-0 at home in November, but manager Cosmin Olaroiu urged his players to focus on the immediate fixture rather than the Asian Champions League opener against Esteghlal of Iran on Monday.
“We have to be on top of our game,” Olaroiu said. “The commitment to put a serious performance and staying away from complacency is vital in matches like this. Only then we can think of other challenges.”
Al Ain, in fourth, will hope to rebound from their 2-1 home defeat to Dibba last week.
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