Match Report
11 points and 8 places separated them: Smouha 6th with 31, Ismaily 14th with 20. Recent form told a different story for Smouha: only 42nd in the league over the last five rounds despite sitting 6th. Against a league average of 1.01 goals per team per game, Smouha ran at 1.05 scored and 0.65 conceded, Ismaily at 0.31 and 0.92.
Five consecutive defeats weighed on Ismaily. Over the last five, Smouha had taken 8 of 15 points to Ismaily's 0.
The head-to-head ledger counts 7 games: 3 Smouha wins, 3 for Ismaily, 1 draw, at 2.14 goals per meeting. The pattern favours whoever hosts: home teams have won 71% of the meetings. Historically tight: 29% of the meetings went beyond two goals.
The venue was Alexandria Stadium in Alexandria, with room for 19,676 spectators. It was 0-0 at the break, and the second half added 2 goals for the 2-0 full-time score.
Goal scorers
Smouha: Pape Badji (49'), Ahmed Fawzi (56')