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Raja Casablanca invite reigning champions Al Ahly to the Stade Mohammed V in the second leg fixture of the CAF Champions League quarter-finals on Thursday.
The first leg tie in Egypt last week ended in a 2-1 win for the then-hosts. Al Ahly have been in good touch in the Egyptian Premier League and have just one loss to their name this season.
The visitors finished second in Group A, scoring seven goals in the six group stage fixtures. The hosts won the CAF Confederation Cup last season, earning a place in the group stage of the Champions League.
They finished at the top of Group B and had the joint-best defensive record in the competition, conceding two goals in six games. Like Al Ahly, they are also second in their league standings.
Raja Casablanca vs Al Ahly Head-to-Head
The two sides have locked horns eight times in CAF competitions. The hosts are without a win against the Egyptians since 2002. Al Ahly enjoy a narrow 3-2 lead in wins here while a couple of games have ended in draws.
Before the first-leg tie, they met in the CAF Super Cup final in December, with the game ending in a 6-5 win on penalties for Al Ahly, after the game ended 1-1 in regular time.
Raja Casablanca form guide (all competitions): W-L-W-W-W
Al Ahly form guide (all competitions): L-W-W-W-W
Raja Casablanca vs Al Ahly Team News
Raja Casablanca
Zakaria El Wardi is the only absentee for the hosts. Mohamed Nahiri returns from suspension but Marouane Hadhoudi is suspended following a red card in the first leg. Abdelilah Madkour will also serve a one-game suspension following the accumulation of yellow cards.
Injury: Zakaria El Wardi.
Doubtful: None.
Suspension: Marouane Hadhoudi, Abdelilah Madkour.
Unavailable: None.
Al Ahly
Akram Tawfik and Badr Benoun are long-term absentees for El Shayateen El Homr. Amar Hamdy has been left out of the squad due to undisclosed reasons, while Ali Maaloul has been included in the 25-man squad announced for the second leg tie.
Injuries: Akram Tawfik, Badr Benoun.
Doubtful: None.
Suspension: None.
Unavailable: Amar Hamdy.
Raja Casablanca vs Al Ahly Predicted XIs
Raja Casablanca (3-4-3): Anas Zniti (GK); Ilias Haddad, Mohamed Nahiri, Jamal Harkass; Oussame Soukhane, Mohamed Al Makaazi, Abdeljalil Jbira, Abdellah Farah; Fabrice Ngoma, Hamid Ahadad, Mohamed Zrida.
Al Ahly (4-3-3): Mohamed El Shenawy (GK); Ali Maaloul, Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Karim Fouad; Amr El Solia, Hamdi Fathi, Aliou Dieng; Ahmed Abdelkader, Mohamed Sherif, Hossam Hassan.
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Raja Casablanca vs Al Ahly Prediction
The Green Eagles have been in solid form at home this season. They did not concede a single goal in the home fixtures in the Champions League at Friday's venue and have not suffered a single defeat in front of their own fans across all competitions this term.
Al Ahly barely made it into the quarter-finals with a win in the last group stage fixture. They might struggle against the hosts here but are expected to come up short in their trip to Casablanca.
The game is expected to go into penalties and we believe the hosts will come out on top.
Prediction: Raja Casablanca 2-1 Al Ahly
