Egyptian Derby Draw as Al Masry Stalls Smouha, Misses Chance to Overtake Ahly
22 October 2025
Match Report
Al Masry hosted Smouha in a goalless draw on Wednesday night, closing the eleventh round of the Egyptian Premier League. The game unfolded as a cautious battle, with both sides failing to convert chances and the home team seemingly hampered by a packed schedule after last Friday's CAF Confederation Cup tie with Libya's Al Ittihad.
Al Masry's 19 points keep them in third place, while Al Ahly's late Sunday win over Al Ittihad pushed the leaders to 21 points. Smouha climbed to 15 points and eighth as the round concluded.
Context and League Format
The league this season features 21 clubs and a bold new format: a single round-robin phase in the opening stretch, followed by a split into two groups. The top seven will contend for the title, while the remaining 14 fight to avoid relegation. The schedule is set to two rounds, with results from the first phase carried forward, ensuring every point still has meaning.
Egyptian Football Association aims to heighten drama in the run-in and trim the number of matches per club, acknowledging crowded calendars due to continental and regional competitions. The edition features heavyweights like Al Ahly, Zamalek and Ismaily, alongside promoted sides eager to prove themselves against the giants.
Experts expect a tight battle at the summit among title contenders and a renewed push from clubs like Zamalek to reinsert themselves into the title chase, with Masry, Smouha and Ceramica Cleopatra also in the conversation.
The upcoming fixtures promise a lot of action as teams jockey for position in the two-phase system and as the calendar tightens across the season.
Punchline 1: If drama were goals, this match would be a hat-trick of misses.
Punchline 2: And for fans craving suspense, the crossbar was busier than a transfer deadline day—posting more stories than the players did on the pitch.
