Al Dhafra face a tough test against Al Bataeh in the ADNOC Pro League on Friday, with both sides heading into the clash at Hamdan Bin Zayed Stadium carrying different ambitions.
The hosts sit ninth with six points, while Al Bataeh occupy 12th with just three.
This will be only the third meeting between the two clubs in the competition’s history. In the 2022-23 season, Al Bataeh edged Al Dhafra 2-1 and the second game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Al Bataeh will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run in the history of the two teams' meetings, while Al Dhafra are still seeking a first victory in this head-to-head.
Al Dhafra’s defensive struggles are evident – they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 36 league matches, conceding 81 goals in that period.
At the other end, Al Bataeh are facing attacking concerns, drawing blanks in their last two games. They have never gone three consecutive top-flight matches without scoring since earning promotion.
Al Bataeh usually have the upper hand against the newly promoted sides. In 10 such fixtures, Al Bataeh have won six, drawn three and lost just once.
They are unbeaten in their last eight meetings with promoted teams (five wins, three draws) and boast an almost perfect away record against them – four wins and one draw, including three successive victories on the road.
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