David Flower
Dailysports's expert
Bonus up to $130/€100
One of the second-round matches of the Egyptian Premier League will be held on Saturday in Cairo, where Ceramica Cleopatra will host Ismaily. I suggest a bet on the total goals in this match with good odds for success.
Match Preview
Ceramica Cleopatra had a modest finish last season, placing eighth and trailing the top four by nine points. Their Egyptian Cup journey this season was cut short, as they fell to ZED at home in extra time, conceding three unanswered goals.
Their Super Cup campaign also disappointed, with a semifinal loss to Al Ahly (1-2) and a penalty shootout defeat to Pyramids in the third-place match. Ceramica started the new league season away at Al Ahly, suffering a heavy 2-5 defeat.
Ismaily, meanwhile, fought to avoid relegation last season, ultimately staying in the top division by a five-point margin. During the summer, they had a promising Egyptian Cup run, eliminating Smouha (2-0) and Tala’ea El Gaish in a penalty shootout. However, they narrowly missed the final after a 0-1 loss to ZED. In the first round of the new Premier League season, Ismaily hosted Ghazl El Mahalla but couldn’t find the back of the net, finishing 0-0 against the league newcomer.
Probable Lineups
- Ceramica Cleopatra: Bassam, Bodi, Mohamed, Nabil, Hani, Adel, Zalaka, Kendoosi, Sadek, Belhadji, Lakay
- Ismaily: Amer, Hassan, El Hazar, Hakem, Hassan, Gaber, Toure, Essam, Hossam, Yehia, Hamdi
Match Facts and Head-to-Head
- Last season, the teams exchanged narrow home victories.
- Four of their last five meetings saw both teams scoring.
- Only two of the last five matches featured over 2.5 goals.
Prediction
Bookmakers favor the home side, with Ceramica Cleopatra’s win given odds of 2.01. Given their edge, we consider it worthwhile to back a "Ceramica Cleopatra win."
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