Youth Al Ahli have another chance to temporarily climb to the top of the UAE Pro League table when they face Dibba tonight at 21:30 to open the 20th round of the competition. At the same time, an important match will take place between Al Jazira and its guest, Khorfakkan.«Dubai's Knights» are in second place with 46 points, one point behind leaders Al Ain, making a victory in today's match an opportunity to put pressure on «The Leader», who faces a tough test against Al Wahda tomorrow. Youth Al Ahli regained their balance with a resounding 5-1 victory over Kalba in the last round, which came after two draws. The team sent a strong warning to competing teams with this five-goal victory. It is worth noting that their Portuguese coach Paulo Sousa managed to deflect criticism from the team thanks to improved performance and the stellar form of some players, led by Mohamed Juma Al Mansouri.Youth Al Ahli have a remarkable defensive record, being the only team in the league this season to have not conceded any goal from a header, while Dibba has conceded the most headed goals (9 goals).Historical statistics also favor Youth Al Ahli, who have won their last six league encounters with Dibba by an aggregate score of 19-3. Moreover, the team has not lost in their last 21 matches against promoted teams in the Pro League (20 wins and 1 draw), including 17 consecutive wins.On the other hand, «The Collectors» are at the bottom of the table with 14 points, and the match represents a crucial turning point in their season this year. The team needs a win to keep their hopes of survival alive, especially as achieving a positive result against a team of Youth Al Ahli's caliber would give them a huge morale boost.Despite being in last place, Dibba has shown improvement at home, avoiding defeat in their last three league matches at home (two wins and one draw), after having collected only one point in their first six home matches this season. Al Jazira vs. KhorfakkanAl Jazira is aiming to maintain third place and keep its chances of competing for the title alive, despite its difficulty, when it hosts its guest Khorfakkan tonight at 21:30 at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium. The team hopes to avenge the guest who beat them 3-2 in the first leg.«Pride of Abu Dhabi» has 34 points in third place. The team enters the match in high spirits after achieving four consecutive wins in the league, which brings it closer to its best winning streak since the period between February and April 2022, when it achieved five consecutive wins.Al Jazira is the only team in the league this season that has not dropped any points after taking the lead, a clear indicator of its ability to manage matches when it is in control.On the other hand, Khorfakkan is in ninth place with 20 points and enters the match with the ambition of continuing its positive results against Al Jazira, as the team has won the last two encounters between them. The team seeks to achieve a double of home and away wins in a single season for the first time.Encounters between the two teams usually have high scoring rates, as 58 goals were scored in their previous 13 meetings at an average of 4.5 goals per match. The last eight matches between them also saw 14 penalties awarded, seven for each team.The two teams have met 13 times in the Pro League. Al Jazira won six of them compared to five wins for Khorfakkan, while two matches ended in a draw. Al Jazira scored 34 goals, compared to 24 for Khorfakkan.
