Hosts Shabab have edge over Bani Yas

Dubai - Bani Yas lost 1-2 after fighting hard for a good 80 minutes at home against Al Nasr

Going by the form book, hosts Al Shabab have an edge over their guests from the Capital, Bani Yas, when the Arabian Gulf League resumes after a short interval, kickoff 5.05pm on Friday. 
Bani Yas lost 1-2 after fighting hard for a good 80 minutes at home against Dubai outfit Al Nasr on Sunday while Shabab are in high spirits following a thrilling 2all stalemate with visitors Al Ain on Monday.
The star of the Shabab-Al Ain encounter, Manei Mohamed, who scored in fine style early in the first half against The Boss on Monday, is all set for another good show, and so will be the valuable import Luvannor Henrique who netted his eighth goal of the season in five appearances against Al Ain.
"I have an added level of confidence after the Monday match against Al Ain but this does mean things will come easier, for Bani Yas are a very difficult outfit to overcome," Mohamed said on Tuesday: "The dressing room mood in Mamzar is good but over confidence has to be kept aside. Bani Yas have a point to prove for they will be going the extra distance for three points."
Shabab coach Fred Rutten, pleased with his lads' weekend workouts and overall fitness levels, said on Tuesday: "Not one match in the league can be termed less tough. We have a long road ahead. We are not interested in the temporary top standings in the tournaments so far.""Bani Yas have a great reputation for their counters which I rate is one of the best in the league. They have a well organised and cohesive squad. We have a methodology that we are slowly developing into a solid system. If we can have it this way, I should see us progressing deep into the title zones. We have like the other sides, players away on national team duty, a few niggling but not serious injuries. It's nice to see Rashid recovering during the past month and a half and hopefully should be match fit for the Bani Yas fixture at home."
moni@khaleejtimes.com