Al Ain FC has a perfect opportunity to reclaim the top spot in the UAE Pro League, taking advantage of the postponement of league leaders Shabab Al Ahli's match against Al Wahda due to both teams' involvement in the AFC Champions League Elite. At 20:00 local time, Al Ain will host Al Nasr at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in the 16th round. Today's match will be the fourth between the two teams this season. The first league match at Al Maktoum Stadium ended in a 2-2 draw. In the Arabian Gulf League Cup, Al Ain won 3-0, but Al Nasr retaliated in the return leg with a 2-0 victory. This defeat was Al Ain's only loss since the start of the season. Al Ain sits in second place with 37 points, just one point behind the leaders Shabab Al Ahli (38 points), while Al Wahda is in third with 30 points, making the title race a near-exclusive battle between these two teams. Al Ain enters the match with a full squad, as defender Éric Gognés has returned to group training after recovering from an injury that forced him to leave the match against Al Jazira after 20 minutes as a substitute. Meanwhile, Al Nasr, in sixth place with 20 points, cannot afford to drop points, especially given their modest recent results. They have achieved only one win in their last five matches since the beginning of 2026. Al Nasr strengthened its squad during the winter transfer window with several key signings, including Serdar Saççı from Trabzonspor, Marius Høibråten from Urawa Red Diamonds, David Petrović from Sharjah, and Eisa Fayez from Ajman. At 17:30 local time, Khorfakhan will host Ajman at the Sakr bin Muhammad Al Qasimi Stadium in the 14th round. Khorfakhan has found stability under Croatian coach Damir Krznar, having won two consecutive matches against Al Wasl and Al Dhafra. Ajman enters the match in high spirits following their recent victory over Kalba, which brought them back to winning ways and restored confidence in the team. Khorfakhan is in seventh place with 18 points, just one point ahead of Ajman, who sits in eighth with 17 points.
