Dubai: The Al Ain derby on Sunday will clearly decide the team which will hold the advantage as the Arabian Gulf League commences the business end.

The results of the 17th round had affected a few teams - Al Ain crashed to a shock 1-0 loss against strugglers Fujairah while Al Jazira went down 1-2 against Al Dhafra. Al Shabab and Sharjah were among the big winners with the team from Al Mamzar holding off relegation-threatened Kalba for a 2-1 win while Sharjah thrashed Sami Al Jaber-led Al Wahda 4-1.

These two results helped change a few things in the standings. Al Ain continued at the top with 39 points and Al Jazira continued their chase with 36 points but the three points helped Al Shabab jump one spot into third with 33 points. Al Dhafra, meanwhile, moved away from the relegation zone into 10th place.

This week’s fixtures, hence, assume considerable significance with the derby between Al Ain and Al Jazira being the decisive one for the future.

Al Ahli will host Fujairah on Saturday with the defending champions keen to resurrect their flagging fortunes against a team that had tasted a big scalp last month. And with a new coach at the helm, Al Wahda will be looking at a home win against a strong fighting team like Al Shabab.

On Saturday, Bani Yas will host Sharjah with both teams keen on full points to make an ascent in the standings. The Paulo Bonamigo-coached Sharjah will be looking forward to continuing with their winning momentum following their big win over Al Wahda in the last round, while Bani Yas will be out to at least push themselves in the top-five of the league.

Another high-stakes game on Saturday will be the Al Nasr versus Ajman clash with the men in blue looking for full points to try and contest for the top three positions and a possible taste of action next season in the AFC Champions League. Last week, they played an exciting 2-2 draw against next-door neighbours Al Wasl and full points against Ajman will ensure they are within striking distance of the top-four teams.

In other action, Emirates will host Al Dhafra while Al Wasl will travel to Kalba. Emirates showed a lot of promise in their 3-2 win over Al Dhafra in the last round, while Kalba – at the bottom of the cellar with a mere four points to show – will try to match their opponents from Dubai.