Cautious football takes centre stage: Abu Qir Semad vs Al Ittihad prediction
Abo Qir Semad
The third-round Egyptian Premier League match between Abu Qir Semad and Al Ittihad will take place on 2 September at Alexandria Stadium in Alexandria. The hosts have collected three points from their opening two matches, while the visitors have made a very poor start. Nevertheless, Al Ittihad are slight favourites in the bookmakers' odds.
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Abu Qir Semad: solid defence helps them collect points
Abu Qir Semad began the league campaign with a 1-0 victory over National Bank of Egypt before losing 2-0 to one of Egyptian football's leading clubs, Pyramids. As a result, the team have three points after two rounds.
In their last five matches in all competitions, the hosts have recorded three wins, one draw and just one defeat. Their defensive reliability has been particularly notable, with Abu Qir Semad keeping clean sheets in four of those five games.
Al Ittihad: inconsistent results and problems securing wins
Hamza El Gamal's side have won only one of their last five league matches, a 3-0 victory over Ismaily. They also drew 0-0 with Zamalek and 2-2 with National Bank of Egypt, while their matches against Ceramica Cleopatra and Ghazl El Mahalla ended in defeats.
The visitors' attacking potential should not be completely dismissed, as they have scored six goals in their last five games. However, inconsistent results and a lack of goals in certain matches may encourage Al Ittihad to adopt a more cautious approach.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Abu Qir Semad have kept clean sheets in four of their last five matches.
- Both teams have scored six goals in their last five matches in all competitions.
- Three of Al Ittihad's last five matches have produced under 2.5 goals.
A high-scoring contest looks unlikely: Abu Qir Semad vs Al Ittihad prediction
The hosts' defensive system is working well, and after losing to Pyramids they are unlikely to open the game up unnecessarily. Al Ittihad have not shown consistent attacking form either and often play fairly cautious matches.
The bookmakers' odds also point towards a low-scoring encounter, while the close prices on the main outcomes confirm that neither side has a major advantage. A match with relatively few goals therefore looks like the most logical option.
