The biggest talking points ahead of this week’s AGL action.
Focus for Al Ahli?
Such has been Ahli’s success in the Asian Champions League that their domestic league programme has played second fiddle this season.
Subsequently, the Dubai side are playing catch-up: entering Round 5, they have taken part in just two league fixtures, winning both. This week, though, provides the opportunity to be front-runners.
With Ahli’s Champions League second-leg match against Al Hilal next Tuesday, their home match with Sharjah has been moved forward two days to today.
Yet it remains to be seen if Ahli can concentrate on that when, five days later, they have arguably the biggest match in their history.
Their team selection will be interesting. Thankfully, they have summer signing Rodrigo Lima in fine form: the Brazilian scored twice in the league cup against Al Nasr on Saturday to take his tally to 10 goals in eight appearances.
Braga needs a win
It is too early in the season to write off anyone, but Al Jazira’s supposed title challenge does not seem like materialising anytime soon.
The capital club were one of the summer’s big spenders, bringing back former coach Abel Braga and recruiting Thiago Neves, Jefferson Farfan and Park Jong-woo, an outlay that justifiably raised expectations for the season ahead.
However, Jazira have begun badly, winning two of six matches in all competitions.
On Saturday, an admittedly second-string side lost to Al Shabab in the cup, while their last league outing resulted in a shock 4-2 defeat to Dibba.
Braga has complained about his leaky defence, vowing to correct a problem that he says stretches back to when he left the club, in 2011. Jazira face Shabab again tomorrow, this time in the league.
The remit is clear: three points are a must.
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Task eases for Dhafra
In recent seasons, Al Dhafra have been one of the less-celebrated success stories in the UAE top flight. Having earned promotion in 2012, they recorded successive eighth-place finishes before concluding the 2014/15 campaign in 11th.
It represents an excellent return for the modest club almost hidden away in the country’s Western Region. This season, though, has been tough.
At present, Dhafra sit second bottom, having gleaned a solitary point from a possible 12. However, there lies a caveat: in those four matches, they have faced champions Al Ain, a resurgent Al Nasr and Champions League semi-finalists Al Ahli.
The next few weeks should provide the opportunity to kick-start their season: Dhafra travel to Fujairah on Saturday, then take on Emirates and Baniyas at home.
On Friday, they secured their season’s first victory with the 3-1 cup win against Al Shaab. Onwards and upwards.
Nilmar’s spark missing
On the face of it, there does not seem to be too much wrong at Al Nasr. The Dubai club, last year’s President’s Cup and Arabian Gulf Cup winners, sit top of the league after three victories and a draw.
Yet their early success has masked Nilmar’s poor goal return. The Brazilian, signed this summer from Internacional, has scored once in eight appearances for his new club, while he is yet to find the net in the league.
What is more, he has struggled to lead the line; diminutive and dainty, Nilmar seems better suited to a supporting role.
Admittedly, he needs time to adjust, but so far the signs have not been promising.
Nasr host Al Wahda on Saturday, a fixture that begins a run of matches predominantly against the division’s best clubs.
If Nilmar were to start finding his feet, then it would prove a timely interjection.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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