Dubai: Al Jazira striker Ali Mabkhout says his teammates are ready to avenge their recent President’s Cup hammering by Al Wahda when the two Abu Dhabi derby rivals meet again in the Arabian Gulf League on Thursday.
The Island may be one point clear at the top of the 14-team league table, but they looked less than competent when the Clarets thrashed them 6-0 in the cup quarter-finals earlier this month.
Mabkhout, who is second in the league top-scorer’s list with 15 goals this season, says his team are now ready to offer a timely response to fifth-placed Al Wahda at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium from 8pm.
“Beyond our loss in the last game, we have a good record against Al Wahda, and although we lost that confrontation we went on to win our last league game away to Al Wasl 3-2 on Friday; that will guide us,” said the UAE national team forward.
“The Island have a strong character to overcome any setback; we are only thinking about the next game and will try to maintain our current league run,” he said of Al Jazira’s six wins in the last seven league games.
“We are ready to deliver and will maintain focus towards providing the best possible performance, we’re not thinking about anything else but getting three points,” he added.
Clarets coach Javier Aguirre said his side were braced for a reaction.
“That last game was an accident and usually games between both sides are pretty close,” he said. “We are expecting a tough game, but are focusing on getting three points to build upon previous performances and compete for the title.”
Elsewhere on Thursday, from 5.05pm, Al Ain, who are a point behind Al Jazira in second, travel to third-from-bottom Emirates.
Al Ain went ahead of Al Jazira by a point after winning their game in hand 3-2 away to Hatta last week, but then they allowed Al Jazira to creep back in front at the weekend after being held to a 1-1 draw away to rock bottom Bani Yas on Saturday.
“We don’t have many options due to injuries and suspensions and have played successive games in a short space of time,” said Al Ain coach Zlatko Dalic. “But regardless of the circumstances that we face we are looking to get three points from Emirates.
“To compete for the title we have to bypass all circumstances and we are well aware our mission won’t be easy.”
Second-placed Al Ain will next host league-leaders Al Jazira in a rearranged top of the table clash on Monday.
Before that on Friday however, third-placed Al Wasl travel to eighth-placed Al Dhafra, and fourth-placed Al Ahli host sixth-placed Al Nasr.
Seventh-placed Al Shabab also entertain fourth-from-bottom Kalba, on Saturday.
And in the weekend’s other games, ninth-placed Sharjah will visit 10-placed Hatta on Friday and second-from-bottom Dibba are at home to bottom-of-the-league Bani Yas.
