A few days after winning the Egyptian Super Cup at the expense of archrivals Zamalek in a penalty shootout, Ahly defeated UAE side Al-Ain 3-0 in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in Cairo before claiming a 5-2 win over Ceramica Cleopatra in the Egyptian League opener on Saturday.

During these two games, Ahly produced strong performances, capitalizing on the offensive approach of their opponents to punish them for their defensive lapses.

ZED FC also features among the teams that practice an offensive strategy like Al-Ain and Ceramica Cleopatra, which will provide a good opportunity for Ahly players to shine.

It is unlikely that coach Marcel Koller, who is looking for a third consecutive league title, will make significant modifications to the team’s lineup.

The Swiss coach depends on his offensive trio of Hussein El-Shahat, Wessam Abu Ali, and Taher Mohamed. The three players found the net against Cleopatra and hope to score again against ZED FC.

Defender Khaled Abdel-Fattah has a good chance to start in the heart of the team’s defense alongside Rami Rabie to compensate for the absence of injured defender Rami Rabia.

Egyptian-Qatari defender Yousef Aymen produced a poor performance against Ceramica Cleopatra and was replaced during halftime, while Moroccan defender Achraf Dari is yet to recover from his injury.

On the other hand, ZED FC did not perform well against Gouna in the league opener, playing to a goalless draw in the Red Sea resort on Thursday.

Keeper Ali Lotfi, a former Ahly player, saved a first-half penalty to rescue a point for his side, which struggled during the game.

ZED FC, who were promoted to the Egyptian Premier League for the first time last season, lost to Ahly on two occasions and hope to earn a historic win or at least a draw against the defending champions.

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