Intriguing match-ups in store in AGL

Al Wasl and Dibba players fighting it out in an AGL match.

Leaders Sharjah have the opportunity to put daylight between them and the rest of the chasing pack when the 16th round of the Arabian Gulf League plays out this weekend.
Their nearest contenders Al Ain's slip up against Al Dhafra means 'The King' hold a five-point gap at the top. And that could increase further after this weekend's fixtures.
But the path isn't easy by any means as both clubs face stiff competitors in their chase for glory. Sharjah play hosts to Shabab Al Ahli, who are currently fourth on the League table, on Friday night.
Elsewhere, at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, 'The Boss' go up against Al Nasr on Saturday night. These two fixtures make for intriguing contests over the weekend that also sees a slew of interesting match-ups.
It could be a defining weekend for Sharjah and Al Ain as well as for Bani Yas and Al Jazira, third and fifth in the standings respectively.
Action begins with Bani Yas taking on Al Jazira at the Bani Yas Stadium on Thursday and the Sky Blue will be keen to continue their unbeaten streak. The Al Shamkha club are unbeaten in six matches that includes four victories, the latest of which came against Al Wasl at the Zabeel Stadium last week.
Meanwhile, Al Wasl will look to bounce back from that defeat when they host Al Wahda at the Zabeel Stadium.
And it should make for an fascinating fixture with Al Wasl coach Laurentiu Reghecampf going up against his former employers. The sub-plot would be the Romanian matching wits with veteran manager Henk ten Cate, who led Al Jazira to their second League title in the 2016-17 season. 'The Cheetahs' are 11th on the table, while 'The Clarets' sit in sixth place.
Friday sees Dibba meet Emirates at the Fujairah Stadium, while Ittihad Kalba kick-off simultaneously against Al Dhafra at the Kalba Union Sports & Cultural Club Stadium.
Ajman play Fujairah at the Rashid bin Saeed Stadium before the big face-off between Al Ain and Al Nasr on Saturday night. Al Ain's title defence hit a road bump after they lost 3-0 to Al Dhafra and 'The Boss' will be looking to bounce back quickly from that defeat to 'The Western Knights.'
And the Garden City club will look to their new coach Juan Carlos Garrido to turn things around. The 49-year-old Spaniard was announced as Al Ain's new coach a couple of days ago and takes over from caretaker Zeljko Sopic.
Meanwhile, Sharjah coach Abdul Aziz Anbari will be hoping his side their 15-match unbeaten run that has seen them lead the League.