Title-hopefuls Ismaily and Zamalek will be vying for Group B second spot when they face off in an enticing Egyptian Premier League encounter at Ismailia Stadium on Thursday. Only one point separates the perennial rivals, with Zamalek lying third on 28 points while Ismaily are fourth of the league standings. A win for either side would help them leapfrog Ittihad El-Shorta to second spot, which earns qualification for the final mini-league phase, and be within touching distance of leaders Petrojet, who have 33 points but played a game more. "The Ismaily game is a make-or-break tie if we are determined to reach the league playoffs," Zamalek manager Mido told a news conference following the recent 4-0 league win over Qanah. "The Petrojet defeat was a setback that we were able to overcome, I told my players we got five matches remaining and we have no other option but to win them all. "We are fully focused on the Ismaily clash now. We will not be waiting for other teams' results to help us qualify for the final stage." The top two in each group will advance to a four-team mini-league to determine the winner. Zamalek will also be looking to avenge their home defeat at the hands of the Dervishes in the first half of the season, when a wonder strike from ex-Zamalek youngster Ibrahim Hassan handed the White Knights their first loss of the campaign. Team news Following an embarrassing 4-2 defeat by Petrojet, Zamalek were able to bounce back against Qanah with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over the mid-tablers. A sublime performance from Mohamed Ibrahim, who returned against Petrojet after serving a four-match suspension, and Omar Gaber inspired Zamalek to victory. The duo remain Mido's potent weapons against Ismaily. Young forwards Mostafa Fathy and Yousef Ibrahim 'Obama' could also prove Mido's wild cards against Ismaily after helping Zamalek to two precious wins over Wadi Degla and Haras El-Hodoud this month. Mido, however, should be quick to address his side's defensive frailties, which were quite obvious in recent games, particularly in the 4-2 defeat by Petrojet. Ismaily, meanwhile, enter the match on the back of a surprise 3-2 loss at the hands of Talae El-Gaish, a defeat that saw the coastal side slip to fourth spot. They will be relying on in-form frontman John Antwi, who tops the league scoring charts with 10 goals so far, against Zamalek whose defence has leaked 14 goals since the start of the campaign. Mido has no injury concerns ahead of the match, with striker Ahmed Gaafar and full-back Ahmed Samir the only absentees after being left out of the squad amid reports that the duo will be offloaded by the club at the end of the season. (For more sports news and updates,followAhramOnlineSportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand on Facebook atAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/100201.aspx
