Dubai and east cost derbies in friday's AGLeague action
The Arabian Gulf Leagues wheels resume turning with four encounters across four emirates on Friday.
The action gets underway on 17:00 at Fujairah Stadium where Dibba play hosts to Shabab Al Ahli.
The visitors look to kick-start their season after the appointment of former Al Wasl manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena, replacing Chilean Jose Luis Sierra who was relieved of his duties after the Dubai club suffered three defeats in their first five league fixtures.
Dibba, meanwhile, are three points behind their Friday opponents, having lost four and won a single match in the previous five matchweeks. Their three points’ tally sees them hovering just above the relegation zone in 11th place. The Sailors could be without Jordanian talisman Yaseen Mahmoud who suffered in an injury in his country’s friendly match against Croatia earlier this week.
At 17:05, Bani Yas attempt to bounce back from their defeat in the previous matchweek when they welcome 12th placed Emirates to Bani Yas Stadium.
The Sky Blues went unbeaten for their first four games, before falling 2-1 at Ajman in matchweek 5. Their run puts them in a respectable seventh place with six points, while the visiting Emirates side are on a two-match losing run and have won just once in the league this season.
The evening fixtures both kick-off at 19:45, with the East Coast Derby pitting Ittihad Kalba at home against neighbours Fujairah.
The high-flying tigers have won three of their five games in the league so far and find themselves in fifth place with nine points. Meanwhile, their fellow newly promoted side Fujairah have just one win to their name as they sit 10th with five points.
The pick of Friday’s fixtures sees Al Wasl host Al Nasr in the Bur Dubai derby at 19:45 in Zabeel Stadium.
The Blues finally collected their first win of the campaign in matchweek 5 courtesy of Alvaro Negredo’s second goal of the league season, but they remain in the drop zone with just three points.
Al Wasl, on the other side, have flattered to deceive after collecting four points from their first two outings, going on to collect just three more in their subsequent three matchweeks. They sit sixth with seven points.
