All eyes will be on Rashid Stadium on Saturday as Shabab Al Ahli host Al Jazira in one of the standout fixtures of matchweek four of the ADNOC Pro League.
Both sides have made perfect starts to the season, winning each of their opening three matches, setting up an early test of their ambitions as they look to extend their flawless runs.
Shabab Al Ahli sit top of the ADNOC Pro League table with nine points, ahead of second-placed Al Jazira and third-placed Al Ain on goal difference.
Saturday’s clash, however, is about more than an early battle for top spot. The fixture carries a rich history of rivalry, with the head-to-head numbers favouring Shabab Al Ahli, while Al Jazira will be determined to turn the page and end the dominance, the Knights have enjoyed in recent years.
Across 34 meetings between the two sides in the Pro League, Shabab Al Ahli have claimed 18 victories compared with Al Jazira’s 10, while six matches have ended in draws. The Knights have also scored 63 goals in those encounters, with Al Jazira finding the net 59 times.
Shabab Al Ahli have enjoyed a particularly strong record in recent seasons, going unbeaten in their last eight ADNOC Pro League meetings with Al Jazira, recording seven wins and one draw. The Knights head into Saturday’s encounter having also won each of the last five league meetings between the sides.
Their 18 victories against Al Jazira represent the most by any team against the Pride of Abu Dhabi club in Pro League history, while their tally of 63 goals is also the highest scored by any side against Al Jazira in the competition.
Al Jazira, however, arrive at Rashid Stadium with plenty of confidence of their own. They have won all three of their matches this season without conceding a goal, becoming the first team in Pro League history to win each of their opening three fixtures while keeping a clean sheet in all three.
Al Jazira will now be chasing another piece of history, having never previously won their opening four matches of a Pro League season. Shabab Al Ahli, meanwhile, are looking to achieve the feat for the fifth time in their history after collecting maximum points from their first
three games.
The fixture is also historic in its own right, marking the first time Shabab Al Ahli and Al Jazira have both won their opening three matches in the same Pro League season, adding further intrigue to an early-season battle between two sides yet to drop a point.
The scoring numbers also reveal an interesting trend. Shabab Al Ahli’s last 22 goals against Al Jazira in the ADNOC Pro League have all come from inside the penalty area. Their most recent goal from outside the box against Al Jazira was scored by Ahmed Khalil in November 2020.
One name, meanwhile, stands above the rest in the fixture’s scoring charts. Ali Mabkhout is the all-time leading scorer in Pro League meetings between Shabab Al Ahli and Al Jazira with 13 goals.
With Shabab Al Ahli carrying the historical advantage and Al Jazira arriving on the back of a record-breaking start, Saturday’s clash at Rashid Stadium promises to be one of matchweek four’s most compelling encounters, with both sides putting their perfect records on the line in an early battle at the top of the ADNOC Pro League.
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