Ahly beat Talae El-Geish but Pyramids remain in 1st place after overpowering Ceramica
Ahly's relentless attacking display paid off as they secured a 2-0 victory over Talae El-Geish in the 17th round of the Egyptian Premier League at Cairo International Stadium on Wednesday. Ahly Moroccan winger Achraf Bencharki named Man of the Match.
However, playing at the same time, first-place Pyramids FC overcame Ceramica Cleopatra 2-1 to maintain their three-point lead over the Red Devils in the race to win their first-ever league trophy.
A strike in the opening minute of the second-half from Slovenian striker Nejc Gradisar and an injury-time penalty by Marwan Attia sealed the victory for the Red Devils.
Playing with intensity
Ahly pressed forward with intent and goals after the start whistle.
In the very first minute, Palestinian striker Wissam Abou Ali nearly gave his team an early lead with a left-footed shot that deflected off a Talae defender before being comfortably gathered by the goalkeeper.
Ten minutes later, another chance came as Abou Ali met a precise cross from midfielder Emam Ashour, only for his right-footed strike to be denied by El-Geish's keeper.
Talae El-Geish relied on a steadfast defense and swift counterattacks to blunt Ahly's early onslaught.
In the 23rd minute, a quick counter saw Islam Mohareb send in a cross that was met by Ahmed Meteb's header, which, however, drifted wide.
Three minutes later, a well-worked move involving Yussry Whaid and Ragab Omran resulted in a shot from outside the box that Ahly's Mostafa Shobeir easily stopped.
Despite numerous efforts, including well-placed crosses from Hussein El-Shahat and strong headers from Achraf Bencharki, the first half ended goalless.
However, the breakthrough came early in the second half.
A beautifully orchestrated play started with a long pass just outside the penalty area.
Emam Ashour rose above the defense to head the ball down for Nejc Gradisar, whose first-touch finish found the back of the net after Talae El-Geish goalkeeper Mohamed Shaaban fumbled an easy save.
Buoyed by their opening goal, Ahly continued to press, even as a VAR review in the 60th minute saw a penalty for Wissam Abou Ali overturned.
Ahly's persistent pressure earned them a penalty in the seventh minute of injury time after a Talae El-Geish defender, Khaled Awad, over-tackled Ahly winger Ahmed Abdallah.
Marwan Attia stepped up confidently and converted, sealing a well-earned victory.
With the loss, Talae El-Geish remained in 10th place with 21 points and will fight to avert relegation with eight other teams in the second half of the abridged 25-week exceptional season.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
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