Zamalek are all but out of the Champions League after a thumping 4-2 defeat to rivals Ahli. Omar Gaber opened the scoring for Zamalek in as early as the fourth minute but Walid Soliman drew level just five minutes later before Ahmed Abdul-Zaher hit his first derby goal for Ahli on 15 minutes. Egypt veteran Mohamed Abou-Treika made things worse for Zamalek when he superbly hit Ahli's third on 54 minutes as Ahmed Fathi added a fourth 19 minutes from the end. Zamalek, however, refused to throw in the towel and Ahmed Hassan managed to give his side a glimmer of hope in the 82nd minute. The result means that Zamalek have virtually waved the competition goodbye after freezing on four points with just one game remaining, as Ahli now top Group A on 10. Zamalek could only hope for a miraculous finale that would see them beat Leopards while making sure Ahli win at Orlando Pirates, with no less than nine goals needed for the Whites. Stunning comeback Zamalek looked determined from the outset and took an early lead when Gaber outpaced Mohamed Naguib to slide home past keeper Sherif Ekrami. But Ahli needed just five minutes to reply, with Soliman latching onto a brilliant Fathi pass half before unleashing an unstoppable strike into the top corner of the net. The next five minutes witnessed another shock for the Whites, as a glancing header by Abdul-Zaher from a Fathi cross earned Ahli the lead. Zamalek could have restored parity if not for the vigilant Ekrami, who made a flying save to thwart a point blank attempt that accidently hit defender Hamada Tolba's leg. The Reds ensured their superiority over their arch-rivals with a stunning drive by Abdullah Al-Saied but the midfielder was unlucky to see his effort agonizingly denied by the bar. Historic Treika goal! The second half was another one-side affair for long spells, with Abou-Treika notching a magnificent goal when he met Soliman's fantastic backheel with an exquisite half-volley just six minutes after the break. It was a record goal that made Abou-Treika all-time joint-top scorer of the Egyptian derby. With 20 minutes to go, Fathi compounded Zamalek's woes when he turned from provider to scorer to slot home from tight angle after going one on one with Abdul-Wahed. Zamalek manager Helmi Toulan saw his substitutions pay dividends when the lively Hazem Emam crossed for veteran Hassan to nod his side's second but it was too little too late.
