Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the key clashes of the 8th round of the Egyptian Premier League Championship will take place on Sunday at the Arab Contractors Stadium in Cairo, where local side Ceramica Cleopatra will host Haras El Hodoud. I'm offering a betting tip on goals scored in this encounter, with strong odds for success.
Match preview
Ceramica Cleopatra have not been at their best in the Championship playoffs and currently sit only sixth in the Premier League table. In 23 matches, the team has collected 34 points, trailing third-placed Zamalek by seven points.
In the last round, Ceramica Cleopatra played away against Al Masry and, quite unexpectedly, cruised to a 4-0 victory. That win was only their second in the last five rounds, during which they also suffered two defeats. In 11 home matches, Cleopatra have managed just three wins, suffering four losses.
The "Border Guards," meanwhile, completely flopped in the Championship playoffs and are now bottom of the table. In 23 games, the club has scored just 24 goals. Even more concerning is their attacking record—only 20 accurate strikes, pointing to clear problems in defense.
In their most recent fixture, Haras El Hodoud travelled to face Pharco and managed a 0-0 draw, their second consecutive stalemate. Previously, the Border Guards drew 1-1 at home against National Bank of Egypt. In 11 away games, Haras have only two wins but have suffered six defeats.
Probable lineups
- Ceramica Cleopatra: Bassam – Bodi, Mohamed, Nabil, Hany – Adel, Zalaka, Kendousi, Sadek – Belhadji, Lakay
- Haras El Hodoud: Seha, Kouassisso, Hakem, Gouda, El Deghemi, Magli, Eze, El Henawy, Mamdouh, Karidoula, Mohamed
Match facts and head-to-head
- The reverse fixture ended in a 0-0 draw
- Only one of the last three matches went over 2.5 goals
- The "Both teams to score" bet landed in one of the last two games
Prediction
Ceramica Cleopatra look like the favorites in this match, but the hosts' current form suggests a better bet would be on total goals scored. For example, "Under 3.0 goals" at odds of 1.55 looks promising.
