Abu Dhabi: Arabian Gulf League leaders and defending champions Al Ain feature in the first fixture to kick off Round 18, a tricky away game in Fujairah against Dibba at 5.20pm on Friday.
Al Ain were narrow 1-0 winners in the reverse fixture at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium earlier in the season and will face opponents desperate to recover from last week’s 5-1 mauling at Al Jazira.
The Boss are only two points clear of second-place Al Ahli at the top, so will be wary of a potential banana skin against their eighth-placed opponents.
Then at 5.35pm on Friday, relegation-threatened Al Dhafra host Fujairah, who are also not immune from danger, with just five points separating the two sides at the lower end of the table. The teams drew 1-1 when they met back in Round 5, but a point apiece this time round wouldn’t do any favours for either side.
At 8.15pm on Friday, fifth-place Al Wahda welcome third-placed Al Nasr to the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi, with both sides hoping for a better result than the 0-0 draw at the Al Maktoum Stadium back in October.
Al Wahda go into the game off the back of a strong performance but a 2-1 defeat against Al Ain, while Al Nasr are in good spirits after hammering Sharjah 4-1 at home last time out.
Moving on to Saturday, at 5.25pm, Al Wasl will entertain bottom-of-the-table Al Shaab, who will be buoyed by their first victory of the season against Al Dhafra, a 2-0 home win, in the previous round. Fourth-placed Al Wasl were 2-1 winners in the reverse fixture, but with Walter Zenga’s new-look team resurgent, it is sure to be a totally different encounter this time around.
Then at 8.15pm, Sharjah have a tough task to bounce back from last round’s heavy defeat to Al Nasr as title chasers Al Ahli visit the Sharjah Stadium. Back in October, Al Ahli were 3-1 winners, but Sharjah will be doughty opponents as they attempt to avoid getting sucked back into the relegation zone.
Round 18 concludes on Sunday with two fixtures, Bani Yas hosting Emirates at 5.30pm, with both teams going into the game on the back of away wins in the previous round.
Then at 8.15pm, the two sides who were in midweek AFC Champions League play-off action – Al Shabab and Al Jazira – meet at the Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium. Both teams faced exhausting conditions as Al Shabab crashed out of the continental competition with a 2-0 defeat away in chilly Uzbekistan to Bunyodkor on Tuesday, while Al Jazira beat Al Sadd of Qatar 5-4 on penalties after extra time to book a place in the group stage.
In the league, the two sides played out a 0-0 draw back in Round 5, but both will be looking to salvage their seasons with a good result.
ARABIAN GULF LEAGUE
Friday’s games
Dibba vs Al Ain, 5.20pm
Al Dhafra vs Fujairah, 5.35pm
Al Wahda vs Al Nasr, 8.15pm
Saturday’s games
Al Wasl vs Al Shaab, 5.25pm
Sharjah vs Al Ahli, 8.15pm
Sunday’s games
Bani Yas vs Emirates, 5.30pm
Al Shabab vs Al Jazira, 8.15pm
