Al Ahly vs Smouha

Al Ahly host Smouha in round three of the new Egyptian Premier League season, with the reigning champions looking to keep pace at the top. Smouha arrive still searching for their first win, making this an early test of how each side's campaign is shaping up. Al Ahly opened with a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over El Sharkia Enppi, recovering from two goals down thanks to Marwan Attia, a Zizo penalty and a 90th-minute Afsha winner, with Emam Ashour again central in midfield. Smouha's start has been the opposite: a 1-0 loss to Al Masry followed by a goalless draw against Asyut Petroleum, leaving them with just one point. The head-to-head strongly favours the hosts too. Al Ahly have won 16 of their 29 league meetings with Smouha since Smouha's promotion in 2010-11, with only four Smouha wins and nine draws, and edged them 2-1 in their last meeting back in April. Our prediction: 2-0