Kalba's team is aiming to achieve its first home win in front of their fans in the current ADNOC Pro League season when they host Al Ain at 17:15 today. This comes after failing to secure any victory at their home ground so far, settling for two losses and four draws. In away matches, however, Kalba has secured four wins against three losses. Kalba sits eighth in the standings with 16 points, while Al Ain is in second place with 31 points. The match appears challenging for the home side but presents several technical challenges that Kalba hopes to overcome to achieve the coveted win. "Emirates Today" highlights five technical challenges standing in the way of Kalba's first home win. Spaces and Defensive Organization Kalba needs to tightly close the spaces behind their defensive line to limit the threat of Al Ain, which excels at exploiting spaces to score goals, especially given the attacking prowess of players like Rahimi and Lapa. The Toughest Test Against Strong Teams Kalba successfully managed to secure four valuable points through draws against strong teams like Al Ahli, Al Wahda, Al Wasl, and Al Jazeera, relying on a high fighting spirit and tactical discipline. They will need to repeat this performance against Al Ain, a challenge considered the toughest of the season. Counterattacks While focusing on defense often reduces attacking opportunities, Kalba's need to secure their first home win forces them to rely on counterattacks as the ideal way to breach the opponent's goal, while maintaining the integrity of their defensive line. Mundheri and Shahriar Kalba's goalkeeper, Sultan Mundheri, bears significant responsibility for keeping a clean sheet in collaboration with the defense. Conversely, Iranian striker Shahriar's task is to capitalize on scoring chances against a well-organized defense and goalkeeper. This dual responsibility could be the key to their first win. High Confidence Al Ain's game is characterized by high pressing, an attacking style, and significant ball possession, posing a psychological and technical challenge for Kalba. The team needs to be armed with high confidence to withstand the pressure and realize their dream of a first home win this season.
