Baniyas and Al Jazira battle for top spot as AGL season heads into home stretch

Baniyas and Al Jazira, the top two teams in the Arabian Gulf League, face big tests when the teams return to action for matchweek 23 after the two-week international break.

Baniyas, who are on top of the table, travel to Sharjah while Jazira, a point behind them in second, will be at home to Al Wasl at Mohamed bin Zayed stadium on Saturday.

Jazira lost the lead after going down to Abu Dhabi rivals Al Wahda 2-0 and Marcel Keizer’s men cannot afford to drop more points at this critical stage with four rounds left.

“We are reaching the end of league season and every game is important for us, starting with the match against Wasl,” Keizer said at the pre-match conference.

“Wasl are strong opponents but we are ready for them on Saturday. We will play our own game.

“The players have been training well since they returned from the national team duty. We couldn’t do any tactical work on what we would be doing against Wasl but we still have a couple of days to do that.

“The squad has been together for a long time and it won’t take much time for them to adapt to the game plans.”

On Friday, Hatta make the long journey to Al Dhafra, Shabab Al Ahli will be at home to Fujairah, Wahda host Kalba and Al Ain meet Al Nasr at the Hazza bin Zayed stadium.

Dhafra can move to safety if they can win full points against Hatta, who can’t afford any slip-ups, while victory for Shabab Al Ahli will strengthen their chances of a top four finish.

Nasr (39) occupy fifth spot and they are two points ahead of the sixth placed Al Ain. Wahda are in seventh and full points against Kalba can also keep them in the race for a top four finish.

Richard Jewell

Director: Clint Eastwood

Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley

Two-and-a-half out of five stars

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The bio

Who inspires you?

I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist

How do you relax?

Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.

What is favourite book?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times

What is your favourite Arabic film?

Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki

What is favourite English film?

Mamma Mia

Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?

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