El Ismaily take on the visitors Aswan in the round 32 of Egyptian Premier League. The match will be played on Thursday, June 29th at Borg El Arab Stadium (Alexandria).
Ismaily had a very weak season as their team is fighting for survival right up until the end. Currently, they are just one point away from the relegation zone. In the next match, they will face a direct competitor in this battle for survival. In the 30 matches of the current season, Ismaily conceded 35 goals, an average of more than one per game. While in the first half of the championship, the team often kept clean sheets, their defense noticeably deteriorated in the second half. In the last five matches, they managed to keep their goal intact only once (against Haras, the hopeless outsider of the table). In the other four matches, they had a victory against Zamalek (2-1), a draw against Al Mokawloon Al Arab (2-2), and defeats against Tala'ea El Gaish (0-1) and National Bank (0-2).
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As you can see, in all the matches mentioned above, Ismaily's players failed to keep a clean sheet, including matches against direct competitors in the battle for survival. It is quite likely that Aswan will manage to at least disappoint the hosts in the upcoming encounter. Everything is at stake! Even a draw for the visitors may not be enough and could send them to the second division. There is no point in sitting back and defending. Although Aswan has failed to score in their last four away matches, I firmly believe they can find the net this time. They have no room to retreat.
Let's consider the situation in the battle for survival. A draw would suit the hosts, as they might opt to play defensively. However, sharing points may not help the visitors. The team currently in the relegation zone (following Aswan in the table), Ghazl El Mahalla, will play against Zamalek, who are already unmotivated in the final round. Additionally, the other two contenders for a spot in the league are playing against each other (National Bank and Ceramica Cleopatra). They are quite capable of settling for a draw, which could satisfy both of them. What am I getting at? The players of Aswan have a choice - to hold on to a draw and hope for a slip-up from Ghazl El Mahalla or to strive for a victory and secure their place in the top division. It seems to me that the choice is obvious. Goals are needed for victory, and at least once, the visitors can disappoint the hosts, whose defense is far from ideal at the end of the season. Finally, it is worth noting that in the last two head-to-head matches on Ismaily's field, Aswan scored two goals each time.
Prediction for the match: Aswan to score – yes.
