National Bank of Egypt defeated Ghazl El-Mahalla 3-1 in the Egyptian Premier League's fourth regular season round on Monday evening. The result lifts the hosts three points clear in the table while the visitors remain rooted to bottom place with just one point from three games.
Osama Faisal opened the scoring in the 16th minute and never looked back. Ahmed Yasser Rayan doubled the advantage shortly after, and by then the pattern was clear — National Bank of Egypt were controlling territory and dictating tempo. To be fair, Ghazl El-Mahalla's defence looked stretched from the opening exchanges.
Abdel Kader Yehia pulled one back in the 44th minute, a moment that briefly shifted the mood. The away side created a chance and converted it, but the response was immediate. Faisal struck again in the 48th minute to restore the two-goal cushion and end any lingering optimism from the visitors.
The statistics tell a straightforward story. National Bank of Egypt held 55 percent possession and registered 13 shots compared to eight for the visitors. Their expected goals figure of 1.5 sat comfortably above Ghazl El-Mahalla's 0.73, and six of their shots found the target against just three for the opposition.
Both sides made six substitutions, with the hosts using the changes to manage the game rather than chase it. Faisal came off in the 81st minute after completing his brace, while Rayan was replaced at the final whistle. The away side saw Kibou Saïdi and Yehia depart as the result became academic.
For National Bank of Egypt, the win provides momentum after a difficult run that included defeats to Zamalek and Abu Qir Semad. They sit 14th with three points from three matches — not where they would wish to be, but this performance suggests they are finding their feet. Ghazl El-Mahalla's position at the foot of the table remains unchanged, and the gap to safety looks considerable after just four rounds.
