Al Shahaniya face an Al-Arabi side that has owned this fixture

Al Shahaniya have scored eight and conceded nine in their last five matches, collecting two wins, a draw and two defeats. They will need to tighten up at the back when Al-Arabi visit on Friday. The hosts sit seventh in the 12-team Stars League with seven points from five games, close enough to the top half to make this meeting important.

Al-Arabi’s unbeaten start

Al-Arabi arrive fourth on nine points, with two wins and three draws and no defeats in their five matches this season. Their last five outings produced eight goals and only five conceded, a sign of a side that is comfortable keeping things tight.

Five meetings, one story

The head-to-head is the sharpest part of this fixture. Al-Arabi have won all five of their recent meetings with Al Shahaniya, scoring 11 times and conceding just once. The most recent came on 3 April in the league, a 2-0 win at Al Shahaniya’s ground, and the Emir Cup tie in February also ended 2-0 in the visitors’ favour. Al Shahaniya have found the net only once across those five games.

Our prediction

Al-Arabi hold the advantage in both recent form and the head-to-head record, and their defensive solidity should be enough to frustrate a home side that has struggled to keep clean sheets. We expect a tight, controlled contest that the visitors edge.

Al Shahaniya 1-2 Al-Arabi SC