Zamalek achieved a convincing victory over Ismaily with a scoreline of 2-0 during their Egyptian Premier League encounter held on February 7, 2025, at the Al Salam Stadium, Cairo. This match marked another pivotal moment for Zamalek as they strive to reclaim their position atop the league standings.
The match kicked off with Zamalek applying significant pressure early on, eager to make up for last week’s humiliations against Pyramids FC where they lost 3-0. It was Mustafa Shalaby who opened the scoring for Zamalek in the 18th minute, making the most of defensive lapses from Ismaily's Mohamed Naser. This set the tone for the rest of the encounter as Zamalek continued to dominate possession and create scoring chances.
Despite being effective defensively for much of the first half, Ismaily struggled to counter Zamalek's relentless attacks. The visitors seemed comfortable sitting back, absorbing pressure and hoping for mistakes from the hosts. Their strategy, unfortunately, faltered as Zamalek capitalized on the first major opportunity presented to them.
During the second half, Zamalek maintained their momentum. They did not make any substitutions until the 64th minute, when coach Christian Gross opted to introduce Nasser Maher and Hassam Ashraf to bolster their offense. The white knights continued to create chances, showcasing their attacking prowess as the clock wound down.
One of the turning points of the match came when Nasser Maher, after receiving a yellow card earlier, was shown a direct red card for unsportsmanlike behavior, forcing Zamalek to play with ten men for the final minutes of the match. This incident sparked some concern among their supporters.
Nonetheless, Zamalek sealed their victory with another goal from Nabil Emad 'Donga' deep in injury time, scoring at the 90+8 minute mark. This goal not only confirmed the win but also reflected the resilience of the team, dispelling any nerves from the earlier red card incident.
This triumph raised Zamalek's tally to 23 points, moving them up to third place on the Egyptian Premier League table with 12 matches played, having won 7, drawn 2, and lost 3. Their next challenge will be to keep this momentum alive as they push for the title against rivals like Al Ahly and Pyramids FC.
On the other hand, Ismaily remains entrenched at the bottom part of the league, holding the 14th position with just 12 points from the same number of matches. Their season has been rocky, with only 3 wins and 6 losses, putting them at risk of relegation if they don’t improve their performance moving forward.
This match marked another chapter in the storied rivalry between Zamalek and Ismaily, illustrating not only the competitive spirit of the Egyptian Premier League but also the stakes involved as Zamalek aims for the championship, and Ismaily strives to avoid the drop.