
Zamalek Forward Nabil Dunga in action during the match with Ittihad of Alexandria. Photo courtesy of Zamalek Facebook page.
Substitute Nasser Mansi broke the deadlock in the 66th minute, just moments after stepping onto the field, heading in a precise cross from Omar Gaber on the right wing.
Nabil Emad extended Zamalek's lead in the 72nd minute with a deflected strike from outside the box, sealing the victory for the Cairo-based club.
Abdelghani Mohamed, Ittihad of Alexandria's midfielder, received a second yellow card in the 57th minute, reducing his team to ten men for the remainder of the match.
The Whites solidified their position at the top of the Egyptian League standings with 14 points, holding a three-point lead over defending champions Ahly, who have played two fewer games.
Ittihad of Alexandria, currently in seventh place with nine points, were without key players due to injuries, such as first-choice goalkeeper El-Mahdi Soliman and midfielder Hicham Adel.
Zamalek exerted early pressure against Ittihad, but the Alexandria side's defence thwarted their attempts to score.
Despite failing to secure victories in his first two games in charge of Zamalek against Ceramica Cleopatra and Talae El-Geish, the 70-year-old Swiss coach, Gross, made impactful substitutions during the match, with Mansi notably making a significant impact off the bench.
Zamalek's next fixture will be against Masry in the CAF Confederation Cup next week.
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