Dubai: Al Ain travel to Fujairah in the first match of a crucial Arabian Gulf League double-header against the east coast club on Thursday.
The Boss are level on 36 points with league leaders Al Jazira with 11 games remaining this season, but Zlatko Dalic’s side could turn the table on the Spiders by beating Fujairah away on Thursday and again at home in their potentially crucial game in hand next Saturday.
At first glance Fujairah appear no match for Al Ain, who beat second from bottom Ajman 7-1 last weekend to make it 12 games unbeaten. However, Al Ain will leave nothing to chance against the minnows, who held Al Jazira to a 2-2 away draw last September.
Al Ain’s priorities are also split, with their opening AFC Asian Champions League group match at home to Saudi Arabi’s Al Shabab falling next Tuesday, in the middle of their two Fujairah games.
Al Jazira lost their Champions League play-off 2-1 away to Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor of Tashkent on Tuesday, enabling them to concentrate fully on their league title push. The same can be said of third-placed Al Wahda, who lost their play-off on penalties at home to Qatar’s Al Sadd after drawing 4-4 after extra time.
With both Al Jazira, who play Al Dhafra at home on Saturday, and Al Wahda, who face Sharjah away the same day, now free to concentrate on the league, Al Ain will need to take advantage of their opportunity to pull in front with six points against Fujairah.
Mid-table Al Ahli, the only other UAE club still in the Asian Champions League, kick-off their campaign at home to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli on Wednesday.
Coach Cosmin Olaroiu has openly admitted the need to use their next league game away to Ajman on Thursday as an opportunity to prepare for the Champions League, especially now that a league title defence looks out of the question.
That said, if experimentation risks a result against second from bottom Ajman, Olaroiu’s position could be under threat.
Fourth-placed Al Shabab will look to gain ground on the top three at home to rock-bottom Kalba on Saturday, while fifth-placed Al Nasr travel to Al Wasl in the Oud Mehta Road derby on Friday after Bani Yas take on Emirates at home.
