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Dubai: The etisalat first division league resumes on Monday day following a 15-day break due to the national team and clubs' commitments in the World Cup qualifiers and Asian Champions League with six matches.
Four matches kick off at 5:45pm: Al Wasl vs Emirates, Al Dhafra vs Al Wahda, Hatta vs Al Ain, Al Jazira vs Al Ahli while the other two: Al Shabab versus Al Nasr and Sharjah versus Al Shaab comes off at 8.25pm.
Al Shabab, on top of the table with 29 points, will face a tough task when they host Al Nasr at Maktoum Bin Rashid Stadium. Al Nasr, now in seventh spot with 20 points, will be looking to compensate the loss of four points in their last two matches when they were held by Al Dhafra and Al Shaab.
Al Jazira, second on the table with 27 points, will also find the going tough when they host Al Ahli who did not lose in their last four matches and are fifth in the table with 24 points. Al Ahli, who reached the President's Cup final, will be looking to win the double (League and Cup).
Al Jazira, who missed defender Rashid Abdul Rahman due to a three-match ban, will fight hard today in the remaining matches to clinch their first ever league title.
Sharjah derby
Sharjah, fourth with 25 points, host neighbours Al Shaab in the Sharjah derby. The visitors have 26 points in the third place and a win today could put the home team in the second place if Al Jazira loses to Al Ahli.
Al Wahda meet Al Dhafra in one of the relegation battles at the latter's ground in the Abu Dhabi Eastern region. Al Dhafra are now ninth with 15 points while Al Wahda are 10th with 13. A win for any of them will be a big boost to sail on safe waters.
Defending champions Al Wasl, who returned last week from Tehran where they lost for the second time in the Asian Champions League, will be looking to better their position in the league table by winning today when they host wooden spooners Emirates. Al Wasl are in the eighth place with 18 points and Emirates are on 11.
Hatta (13 points in 10th place), under their new coach Ebrahim Qasimpour, host Al Ain (21 points) in sixth place in an important match for the home team to pull themselves away from the relegation zone.
Fixtures
5:45 pm kick-off: Al Wasl v Emirates, Al Dhafra v Al Wahda, Hatta v Al Ain, Al Jazira v Al Ahli. 8:25 pm kick-off: Al Shabab v Al Nasr, Sharjah v Al Shaab.
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