Ahly coach Martin Lasarte believes his team had the upper hand against Zamalek in the first half of Saturday's Cairo derby but that his team's performance was affected by the poor state of the pitch.

"We were more dominant in the first half and could have scored but in the second half the game was more balanced. Overall I think it is fair result for both teams," the Uruguayan tactician told the post-match press conference.

Needing a win to bridge a two-point gap to leaders Zamalek and go top, Ahly pressed forward and dominated the game in terms of possession but hardly created goal-scoring chances.

"The condition of the pitch affected our display and it got worse as the game progressed. Our passing game was harmed and the players became more and more afraid of committing mistakes," he added.

Borg El-Arab stadium's pitch has been in a poor condition after hosting a big number of games recently. The pitch has been also heavily damaged by torrential rains in Alexandria.

Meanwhile, Lasarte gave out-of-favor playmaker Saleh Gomaa a lifeline after introducing him with a few minutes remaining after being out for almost eight months.

"Saleh has been training intensively over the past weeks and I told him that he will get his chance at the team. He will get more playing time in the future," the Ahly boss concluded.

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