AGLEAGUE, matchweek 22- day 3
Matchweek 22 of the Arabian Gulf League concludes on Saturday as Al Wasl face Al Jazira and Al Ain play away against Bani Yas.
Al Wasl-Al Jazira clash is set to kick off at 18:00 at Zabeel Stadium. Al Wasl currently sit 10th on 24 points and need only three points from their five remaining games to seal their spot in next season’s league.
The Cheetahs will be looking to end their three-game winless run as they most recently lost to Al Nasr, Shabab Al Ahli and drew with Fujairah.
On the other hand, Al Jazira sit third on 41 points after dropping two points against Dibba last week. The Pride of Abu Dhabi will be looking to collect maximum points as they’re looking to secure a top three finish to earn a spot in next season’s AFC Asian Champions League.
Al Wasl coach Laurențiu Reghecampf refused to blame his players for the team’s recent poor results, saying mistakes were done during the preparation period for the season.
Al Jazira manager Damiën Hertog said they’ve to move on after their defeat to Dibba last week. “We are focusing on beating Al Wasl. We currently sit third and are looking to regain second place,” he added.
At 18:05, Bani Yas will play with Al Ain at Bani Yas Stadium. The Sky Blues are looking to return to winning ways after losing to Sharjah and Al Dhafra, which left them in sixth place on 34 points.
Al Ain are going through a rough patch, as they lost to Al Jazira and Ajman before drawing with Sharjah. They now sit fourth on 39 points and are looking to swap places with third-placed Al Jazira.
Bani Yas coach Krunoslav Jurčić said, “Al Ain haven’t earned any win in their past five games in all competitions. We’re going to try to exploit this to collect the three points.”
Al Ain coach Juan Carlos Garrido stressed that his team need to win to improve their position and finish in the top three. “Bani Yas are an excellent team. We’ve to do our best to get the full points,” the Spanish coach added.
Bani Yas only lost once at home this season when they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Sharjah in matchweek 20.
