Defending champions Zamalek have fond memories of the last time they met Pyramids, having crushed them 3-0 in August to register a comfortable victory that proved vital in helping them win the title for a second straight season.

Pyramids went on to finish as runners-up for the first time but they are eager to go a step further and win their maiden title.

Both teams have made stuttering starts to the new campaign. They drew in two out of their opening five games to fall four points behind leaders Ahly, who are the only team to bag maximum points.

The team that will stumble will fall further behind in the race and, although it's too early to tell who will be the champions, Ahly seem well-equipped to take full advantage of any mishaps from their rivals.

Zamalek notably improved in their last league outing, crushing Talae El-Gaish 4-0 after producing a devastating attacking display for the first time this season.

This was in part down to the return from injury of some key players, especially Egyptian international left-back Ahmed Fattouh.

Pyramids, on the other hand, looked solid in their recent games. Although they started their campaign with two successive draws, they won the following three games and have only conceded one goal so far.

They have surprisingly left veteran playmaker Abdallah El-Said out of their squad for the Zamalek clash amid reports that he fell out with teammate Mostafa Fathi, an ex-Zamalek winger who is now one of Pyramids' deadliest weapons.

Zamalek welcome back veteran schemer Mahmoud Shikabala from injury. New arrival Nabil Emad, who joined from Pyramids in the close season, was also included in the squad for the first time after recovering from a long injury lay-off. 

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