The first leg of the semi-finals brings together Al-Ahly youth with Al-Wahda and Al-Jazeera with Al-Ain

An exciting “Classico” and a burning “Derby” in the Professional Cup

  • Shabab Al-Ahly and Al-Wahda shared the victory in the previous eight matches in the League Cup.

    Emirates today

  • Al Ain excelled in 5 matches, while Al Jazira won 4 and drew once in the League Cup.

    Emirates today

picture

The race to reach the final of the Football League Cup is going through strong turns in the first leg of the semi-finals, as the first confrontation, which will take place at 05:30 in the afternoon, will have the character of "El Clasico", when it brings together Al-Ahly youth and its guest Al-Wahda, in a match It is expected to come exciting, as Al Jazeera lures rival Al Ain to Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium at 8:00 pm in the "Abu Dhabi Derby".

The four teams are facing tonight with one goal, winning a plurality of goals, to put a foot in the final before the return match, which will be renewed next Tuesday, when Al Wahda receives its guest Shabab Al Ahly at Al Nahyan Stadium, while Al Jazira will be a heavy guest in the evening. Al Ain in Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.

In the first meeting, the "Dubai Knights" will have to forget the loss that the team received last Saturday, against Sharjah in the 17th round of the ADNOC Professional League, and invest the land factor and the public in their interest to achieve victory and move closer to the final, which will be a saving for the season, after exiting the Cup The head of state, and the team's hopes of achieving the league title faded, in which it occupies fourth place with 30 points, 12 behind the leaders Al Ain.

In turn, the Al Wahda team enters the confrontation and needs to win also to maintain its chances of competing in all three local championships, as it finally qualified for the President's Cup final, and occupies second place in the league table with 36 points, only six behind Al Ain.

Shabab Al-Ahly qualified for the quarter-finals by defeating Ajman in the first leg at home 2-1, and back 1-0, while Al-Wahda reached this role at the expense of Al-Nasr, with a goalless draw in the first leg at Al Maktoum Stadium, and a clean two-goal win at Al Nahyan Stadium.

The victory advantage between Shabab Al-Ahly and Al-Wahda is equal in the previous eight matches in the League Cup, as they both won in three matches, while two matches were tied, but the Dubai Knights excel in the scoring tally by scoring 11 goals, compared to 10 for the guests.

The two teams had previously faced each other in the semi-finals "home and away" in the 2008-2009 season, and Al Wahda won 3-1 at Rashid Stadium, and Shabab Al Ahli won the return at Al Nahyan Stadium 1-0, and "Al Annabi" qualified for the final, but lost against Al Ain. Zero-1.

In the second match, Al Jazira will be thrilled with its results in the ADNOC Professional League, calling for caution against its rival Al Ain, which is going through a period of stability in results, and offers strong levels that enabled it to maintain the top spot in the league.

Al Jazira had reached this role with great difficulty, after a 3-3 draw at Kalba Stadium, and a 2-1 home win. In turn, Al Ain's journey was not very easy, as it tied in the first leg against Al Wasl at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium 3-3, And he won the second leg in Dubai 4-3.

History stands next to the "leader", as the two teams met in 10 previous matches in the Professional League Cup, Al Ain excelled in five meetings, Al Jazira won four, and the tie dominated on one occasion, and the "leader" scored 19 goals, while the "Pride of Abu Dhabi" reached the net. in 17 times.

Among the historical confrontations, in which Al Jazeera was Al Ain's way to the title, when they met in the 2008-2009 semi-finals, and the "leader" excelled by four goals against one, at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, and repeated his victory back with a clean goal at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, and ascended For the final in which the team faced Al Wahda and beat it with a clean goal, and crowned the title.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news