Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the matches of the 5th round of the Egyptian Premier League Championship will take place on Friday at the Petrosport Arena, where the local National Bank of Egypt will host Pyramids. I’m offering a bet on the outcome of this clash with solid chances for a win.
Match preview
The National Bank of Egypt has long established itself as a typical mid-table side in the local Premier League. This team is not counted among the favorites, and expectations of a title challenge — or even a top-three finish — are traditionally modest. This season is no exception: at this stage, the squad led by Tarek Mostafa sits only fifth in the Championship group standings.
The gap to third place, currently occupied by Zamalek, has already stretched to seven points — making it extremely difficult to close the deficit. In the last round, the "bankers" faced Zamalek at home and battled to a 2-2 draw. It’s worth noting that the National Bank of Egypt’s home results have left much to be desired: in nine matches on home turf, they have secured only three wins and suffered two defeats.
Pyramids are showcasing their championship ambitions to the fullest this season. The team held a comfortable lead over their rivals for quite some time, but recent stumbles have allowed Al Ahly to creep dangerously close — just one point behind. Zamalek, meanwhile, trails by seven points.
On the other hand, a slight dip in league form could be attributed to the fact that Pyramids secured a spot in the AFC Champions League final, defeating Orlando Pirates 3-2 at home. However, in their latest Egyptian Premier League outing, the team visited Pharco and suffered a 2-3 defeat.
Probable lineups
- National Bank of Egypt: El Balouti, El Hazzar, Abdelghani, Bassiouni, Yakubu, Fathi, Simpor, Ibrahim, Helal, Faishal, Annor
- Pyramids: Al Shenawy, Chibi, Gabr, Sami, Hafez, Fathi, Mohanad Lashin, Toure, Sobhi, Adel, Mayele
Match facts and head-to-head
- Pyramids have defeated this opponent in their last five encounters
- The "Total over 2.5 goals" bet has landed in three of the last meetings between these teams and in five of the last six overall
- The "Both teams to score" bet has come through in two of the last five matches
Prediction
Bookmakers are siding with the leaders in this matchup and offer odds of 1.72 for a Pyramids victory. We believe Pyramids simply can't afford to slip up and will do everything to claim all three points. Our pick: "Pyramids to win."
