Ahly produced a vivid attacking display to crush Future FC 4-0 and give new coach Ricardo Soares his first league win last week but they were utterly outplayed by Pyramids in a one-sided game at Cairo's Air Defence Stadium.

Tunisian winger Fakhreddine Ben Youssef gave Pyramids a first-half lead and substitute Eric Traore struck with his first touch after coming on in the 65th minute to ensure the win, thanks to a dreadful blunder by Ahly's experienced full-back Ali Maaloul.

Ahly could only create one goal-scoring chance in the match and never looked like troubling Pyramids, who made up for their disappointing 2-2 draw with Talae El-Geish last Tuesday.

An exciting three-horse race is now expected to go down to the wire with nine rounds remaining.

Defending champions Zamalek, who beat Ghazl El-Mahalla 2-0 earlier in the day, top the table on 57 points, four clear of second-placed Pyramids. Ahly lie third on 48 points but they still have two matches in hand on the leading duo.

Better show

Pyramids lost 3-0 to Ahly in the reverse league fixture and were knocked out of the Egypt Cup quarters at the hands of the Red Devils with a 2-1 loss last month but they produced a much better show this time around.

Ahly looked lost in the first half even though Pyramids were content to sit back, invite pressure and hit them on the break.

Ben Youssef gave Ahly an early warning when his sixth-minute volley with his outstretched foot struck the bar following a deep cross from veteran playmaker Abdallah El-Said, an ex-Ahly schemer.

The Tunisian did not miss on the second attempt as he gave Pyramids a deserved lead on 29 minutes.

Moroccan midfielder Walid El Karti pounced on a poor defensive clearance from Ahly's center back Mohamed Abdel-Moneim to flick the ball into the path of the unmarked Ben Youssef, who hit a powerful volley into the far bottom corner.

Pyramids remained in control in the second half, although Ahly finally managed to carve out an opening when striker Hossam Hassan, who was an otherwise peripheral figure, ran onto a threaded pass from Ahmed Abdel-Kader but his angled low shot forced a fine save from the keeper.

Traore killed off Ahly's hopes with a poacher's effort. Maaloul attempted to chest the ball back to the keeper following a diagonal cross from Ramadan Sobhi but it was intercepted by the Burkinabe midfielder, who made no mistake with a composed finish into the near corner. 

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