Ahly return to domestic action on Sunday after a one-month absence with ground to make up as they seek to reclaim top spot from perennial Cairo rivals Zamalek in the Egyptian Premier League. The Red Devils will hope a victory over Talae El-Geish could initiate a winning streak that would take them back to the summit. Should they win their three rescheduled games, they will go top with a one-point lead over Zamalek. Ahly have been busy over the past month due to commitments in the Club World Cup and the African Champions League. They replicated their best ever Club World Cup finish after claiming the bronze medal in Qatar, having secured a famous shootout win over South American champions Palmeiras of Brazil in the third-place playoff. They had mixed fortunes in the Champions League though, opening their group-stage campaign with a crushing 3-0 victory over Sudan's Al-Merreikh before suffering a shock 1-0 loss at Tanzania's Simba FC. The defeat against Simba was particularly alarming for Ahly's demanding supporters, who are used to seeing their team overwhelm unfancied opponents. Ahly's South African coach Pitso Mosimane is criticised by some fans for tweaking with his starting line-up too often, having come under fire for fielding three defensive-minded midfielders against Simba. But Mosimane is likely to revert to his usual attacking formation against modest El-Geish, who lie 14th in the league table with 12 points, just two clear of the relegation zone. Ahly welcome back winger Taher Mohamed Taher, who recovered from injury, and Hussein El-Shahat, who missed the past four games due to suspension. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
