Zamalek will be looking to climb to the Egyptian Premier League Group B second spot which earns qualification to the final phase when they take on basement side Minya at home on Thursday. Victories over Wadi Degla and Haras El-Hodoud helped Zamalek bounce back from a barren league run that saw them give away nine points in four games, and they will be eyeing a third straight win against newcomers Minya. The Cairo giants are expected to have a walk in the park, with Minya claiming only two wins out of 15 games in their debut top-flight season. Moreover, third-placed Zamalek will be looking to capitalize on leaders Petrojet's stumble against Beni Suef Telephones, who held the petroleum side to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday. A win for Zamalek against Minya would help them close the gap on Petrojet, who are at the summit on 30 points, to just five – with the Cairo side still having two games in hand. Should Zamalek beat Minya and leapfrog Ismaily to second spot, Mido's side will still be facing a tough task to secure a top-two finish – as they meet Petrojet at the weekend before travelling to the Dervishes two weeks later. "I believe it's a very tough game," Mido told reporters ahead of the Minya meeting. "The Minya game comes after two wins, thus we are under pressure to continue our good form. "We are also in dire need for the match's three points before facing rivals Petrojet who are vying for a spot in the league final playoff." The corresponding fixture in the first half of the season coincided with Mido's debut at the helm of Zamalek, who secured a 1-0 victory courtesy of an Ahmed Ali goal. The winners and runners-up of Group A and B qualify for the final mini-league phase, whose winner claims the Egyptian league title. (For more sports news and updates,followAhramOnline Sportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand on Facebook atAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/99226.aspx
