Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
Smouha
Zamalek
On Wednesday, April 16, in the 5th round of the group stage of the Egyptian League Cup, Smouha will host Zamalek. I suggest a bet on the match winner.
Interesting facts about the match and head-to-head history
- Zamalek has not won in 5 consecutive League Cup matches.
- Smouha has a losing streak of 5 matches.
- In the last 4 matches, Zamalek has scored only 2 goals.
- This season, Zamalek has defeated Smouha twice: 2-0 in the Premier League and 4-2 in the Egyptian Cup quarter-finals.
Match preview
Smouha is having a relatively weak season. The "Blue Wave" failed to finish in the top half of the Premier League standings, so they are now in the group of teams fighting for survival. With 20 points, they are in fifth place out of nine teams, and they are 5 points away from the relegation zone.
In the League Cup, Smouha lost all three matches and has already lost its chance to advance to the playoffs. Therefore, the game against Zamalek is only symbolic for them. Over the weekend, Smouha lost to Ghazl El Mahalla (0-1) in the Premier League, and before that, they were defeated by Modern (0-2) and Petrojet (1-2) in the League Cup.
Zamalek, as expected from this club, is competing for the Egyptian championship. With 38 points, they are currently in third place, and the gap from the leading Pyramids is six points.
In the first two rounds of the championship group, Zamalek managed to secure two victories. First, they surprisingly defeated Al Ahly (3-0), and then they collected three points in the match against Haras El Hodood.
However, in the League Cup, Zamalek is on the brink of elimination. In 3 rounds, they have collected only 2 points and are in fourth place. To finish second, Zamalek needs to defeat Smouha and also hope for a draw in the match between Modern and El Gouna.
Possible lineups
- Smouha: Ashraf, Hesham, Haggag, Reda, Mostafa, Mohamed, Amer, Magdi, El-Badri, Lyadi, Amr
- Zamalek: Awad, Fatouh, Abdelmagid, Mathlouthi, Gaber, Dunga, El Said, Shalabi, Zizo, Esho, Jaziri
Smouha vs Zamalek match prediction
For Smouha, this match no longer holds tournament significance, while Zamalek will be highly motivated. My bet is on a victory for the visitors.
