The result of the Al-Ahly vs. Smouha match did not reflect the course of the game, which was completely dominated by the Red Devils in terms of statistics; however, they managed to secure a clean-sheet victory with a single goal scored by Yasser Ibrahim after 20 shots on the Alexandrian team's goal.
Yasser Ibrahim scored the winning goal for the Red Devils in the 87th minute with a powerful right-footed shot from outside the penalty area, placing it to the right of Smouha's goalkeeper. The match took place on Thursday evening at Cairo International Stadium during the third round of the Egyptian Premier League.
Al-Ahly's Domination Over Smouha
According to "SofaScore," a website specialized in statistics, Al-Ahly attempted 21 shots on their opponent's goal, with 4 hitting the woodwork (posts and crossbar), 7 going wide, one saved by the post, and 9 blocked.
The statistics reflected a lack of shooting accuracy and effectiveness in finishing attacks, except for Yasser Ibrahim's surprising goal, which came following a counter-press after Al-Ahly lost possession. The Red Devils' expected goals (xG) totaled 1.68.
Al-Ahly maintained 66% ball possession, while the Alexandrian team held 34%. The home team earned 9 corner kicks, whereas Smouha managed only one.
Al-Ahly completed 558 passes, 481 of which were accurate, compared to Smouha's 284 passes, with 207 being precise.
Al-Ahly's passing accuracy in the final third of their opponent's half reached 82%, while Smouha's stood at 49%.
Lack of Creativity
Despite Al-Ahly's overwhelming superiority in all match statistics, Smouha surpassed them in only one aspect: successful dribbles. The Red Devils completed 4 successful dribbles out of 16 attempts (25%), matching the number achieved by the Alexandrian team's players, but from only 12 attempts (33.3%).
Best and Worst Performers in the Al-Ahly vs. Smouha Match
According to "SofaScore," Yasser Ibrahim and Ahmed Sayed "Zizo" received the highest match ratings of 7.9, followed by Amr El-Gazar with 7.8 and Mohamed Hany with 7.7. Ashraf Bencharqi received the lowest rating of 6.3, despite having won the Man of the Match award in the previous two games.
With this crucial victory, the Red Fortress increased their points tally to 9, achieving a perfect record, placing them second in the Egyptian Premier League standings, behind leaders Pyramids FC only on goal difference.
Meanwhile, the Alexandrian team remains with just one point, occupying the 18th position in the Egyptian Premier League table.
See Also
A Message of Loyalty Resembling Saif Zaher".. Unaired Moments from the Al-Ahly vs. Smouha Match
