Al-Masry claimed a slender victory over Smouha in the opening round of the Premier League Regular Season, winning 1-0 at home on Friday evening. The result puts the hosts up to fifth in the table with three points from their first two matches, while Smouha remain rooted to eighteenth place after accumulating just one point from three outings.
The match was a tight affair with few clear-cut opportunities, and the decisive moment arrived late when Ahmed Mayhoub turned the ball into his own net in the 76th minute. It was a costly error for Smouha, who had been the more threatening side in front of goal but found no answer to the home side's resilience.
There were plenty of cautions to mark the contest, with both sides picking up three yellow cards each. Amr El Sisi and Hassan Ali went off just before half-time, while Mohamed Adel and Abderrahim Deghmoum were booked in the closing stages. The substitutions were frequent, with six changes on display as both managers tried to find an edge.
The statistics tell an interesting story. Al-Masry dominated possession at 53 per cent but registered zero shots on target throughout the entire game. Smouha, by contrast, hit four targets but could not find the back of the net, while their expected goals figure of 0.47 suggested they created slightly better chances.
For Al-Masry, this result extends their unbeaten run and provides a solid foundation after a mixed start to the campaign. Smouha, meanwhile, face a difficult task to climb out of the bottom half after collecting just one point from three games. The table may not tell the full story, but the result speaks for itself.