Shabab Al Ahli is waiting for a match with Al Wasl, which will take place today evening at the Zaabeel stadium at 20:45 as part of the 23rd week of the Professional League. "Dubai Knights" only need one point to secure their ninth title and for five months have been in the Professional League, making them the most titled team since the name change of the tournament.
Shabab Al Ahli has 56 points, falling 11 points behind Sharjah, who occupies second place. The very match with Al Wasl looks complicated for Shabab Al Ahli, as Al Wasl also needs a victory to continue the fight for third place and qualification for the Asian Champions League. At the moment, Al Wasl is in fourth place with 36 points, one point behind the League.
Shabab Al Ahli has not known defeat in 22 previous matches, recording 17 victories and drawing five, scoring 50 goals, which makes them one of the strongest attacking clubs together with Al Ain. Their goalkeepers have missed 16 times, which is fewer than those of Sharjah, who has the most reliable defense in the league with 13 missed goals.
Shabab Al Ahli this season has shown outstanding results under the guidance of the Portuguese coach Paulo Sousa: they reached the final of the President's Cup, where they will face Sharjah, lost in the final of the Professional Cup Al Jazira 1-2, won the Super Cup of the national league against Al Wasl and won the Emirates Super Cup against Rayyan.
In another match today, Dhabha Al Hisn, fighting for survival in the league, faces Kalba away, where the battle for the second place, which the team occupies, is heating up. Dhabha Al Hisn is in 13th place (the last) with 16 points, leaving five points from the border with the lower division Battaya.
Dhabha Al Hisn is trying to avoid falling to the last tour, but suffered defeat in the last match against Al Nasr 0-1. Their hopes were revived after the defeat of Battaya from Al Wasl 1-3 in the same game week, and the gap in five points remains unchanged.
Today, Kalba, who have suffered a drought of victories over Al Jazira 2-1 in the previous match after six rounds without wins, advanced a step closer to the saved place, rising to tenth place with 25 points.
In the third match today, all hopes are on Horfakana - to achieve a positive result against Al Nasr and return to the fight after losing in the last tour from Shabab Al Ahli 0-4. The series of failures lasted after six rounds, and now Horfakana occupies the eighth line with 31 points. At the same time, Al Nasr aims for victory after improving results in the last two tours, defeating Sharjah 2-1 and Dhabha Al Hisn 1-0, gaining 33 points and occupying sixth position, leaving five points from the third place Vakhda.
