Runaway leaders Zamalek make it six wins from six

Zamalek maintain their perfect Egyptian Premier League start with a 3-1 victory over El-Entag El-Harby

Highly-flying Zamalek, who appear well equipped to end a nine-year league drought, made it six wins out of six with a deserved 3-1 win over El-Entag El-Harby on Friday.
Right-back Ahmed Samir put Zamalek ahead after 11 minutes and midfielder Nour El-Sayed added the second early in the second half following a dreadful blunder from El-Entag keeper Nader Saad.
El-Entag narrowed the gap via a goal from Karim Karda shortly after and wasted two goal-scoring opportunities that would have at least given them a share of spoils. Zamalek punished them to put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time, thanks to a superb volley from winger Omar Gaber.
The success-starved Cairo giants, who have not won the league since 2004 and have played second-fiddle to arch-rivals Ahly since, are on top of Group A with maximum 18 points from six games, three ahead of second-placed Ismaily. Petrojet are a distant third with eight points.
The top two in Groups A and B will qualify for the final round, where a mini-league with only home fixtures will be held to determine the winner.
Struggling outfit El-Entag lie second from bottom on three points.
Early lead
Zamalek needed 11 minutes to open the scoring when full-back Ahmed Samir held off his marker to head home a pinpoint cross from in-form central midfielder El-Sayed.
Youngster Mohamed Ibrahim, who returned to the team's starting line-up after serving a two-game suspension, provided Zamalek with more creativity upfront but was guilty of spurning two clear-cut chances in the first half.
A superb feint took him past four defenders midway through the first half but his weak shot was parried by Saad, who rushed out in a timely manner.
A more glaring miss came on the stroke of halftime when he slid in to at the far post but dragged his shot wide with the goal gaping after a low cross from the right evaded Saad.
Saad was at fault as Zamalek deservedly doubled their lead five minutes after the restart. He let a tame left-foot shot from El-Sayed squirm under his body and into the net.
El-Entag pulled one back in the 52nd minute via a deflected volley from Karda but Zamalek still had the upper hand and were unlucky not to ensure the win on several occasions.
Zamalek's modest opponents made a late surge and could have levelled the score but had a header denied by the bar and a close-range effort blocked by keeper Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed.
The White Knights had the last word in stoppage time when Gaber's superb volley from a tight angle left the keeper with no chance.
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