Monday evening brings us action from the Egyptian top flight and features this clash between 6th placed Pharco and their struggling 15th placed counterparts, El Gouna, when the two teams clash at the Haras El Hodoud Stadium.
The Egyptian Premier League campaign has reached the halfway stage and although Monday’s hosts, Pharco, currently occupy 6th place, the hosts still have a lot of work ahead of them if they’re to challenge for a possible top three finish as they trail 3rd placed Al Ahly by a seven-point margin.
فريق واحد ✊#PFC | #فاركو pic.twitter.com/2SIjVtGLZm— Pharco Football Club - PFC (@pharcoclub) May 18, 2022
فريق واحد ✊#PFC | #فاركو pic.twitter.com/2SIjVtGLZm
Although Pharco have put together an unbeaten run of eight games in the Egyptian Premier League, one too many draws have prevented the hosts from putting any real pressure on the teams above them and indeed, the top three, so far this term.
Victories against Al Mokawloon and Future have been swamped by no fewer than six stalemates within this recent eight-match period, so Pharco know they must turn draws into wins if they’re to climb higher towards the top three.
Form on home soil though has been reasonable with Pharco winning five of their 10 home games to date.
El Gouna by comparison are having a torrid time in the Egyptian top flight and although the visitors have still avoided dropping down into the relegation zone of the bottom three, they find themselves perched just above and level on points with third from bottom outfit, Ismaily, prior to Monday evening’s clash.
Despite putting together an impressive run of four games unbeaten between end of November and mid-February which saw El Gouna win three of these four games and picking up wins against El Sharqia, El Geish and Ismaily, this brief respite was not to last long.
El Gouna have slumped to eight defeats within their subsequent nine matches overall which has left the visitors sitting just above the relegation zone, while their one highlight in what has been an otherwise disastrous spell of results was a 1-0 home win over Smouha.
Needless to say El Gouna’s results away from home have also suffered as they have incurred four defeats on the trot on their travels, losing at Zamalek, Ghazl El Mehalla, Future and Ceramica Cleopatra, so the prospects of an away win at Pharco look unlikely.
Pharco should fire up and find a way to convert all three points here.