History
Al Jazira were founded in 1974 after the merger of two football clubs, Al Khalidiya and Al Bateen. In the past, the club has attracted huge foreign names such as Balon d’Or winner, George Weah and former Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic.
More recently, ‘The Pride of Abu Dhabi’ have found domestic success winning their second UAE Pro League title in 2017. The club, chaired by Manchester City Owner Sheikh Mansour, are also three-time winners of the President’s Cup.
Although Al Wahda are officially 10 years younger than their city rivals, the club traces its roots to the merger of a few clubs, the older of which, Al Ahli were established in 1966.
The Clarets have won the league title on four occasions, and added two President’s Cups and two Super Cup trophies to their cabinet. Al Wahda’s best Asian performance came in 2007 when they reached the AFC Champions League semi-finals.
Venue
What it lacks in capacity, the Al Nahyan Stadium certainly makes up for it in atmosphere.
Al Wahda’s 12,000-seater home is situated near the centre of Abu Dhabi and is often packed to capacity, making it a tough place to visit for away sides.
The club have lost at home just once in the League this season, a 1-0 defeat to table-topping Al Ain.
In contrast, Al Jazira’s Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium boasts a capacity of over 40,000 and has in the past hosted multiple FIFA Club World Cup matches and the stadium was the home of the UAE national team in the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers. Both grounds will host their share of games in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Current Standings
The two clubs are set to start their 2018 AFC Champions League adventure in February, but their domestic fortunes could not be more contrasting.
Last season’s league champions, Al Jazira, are currently fifth in the table, 11 points behind the leaders. They did, however, make an impressive FIFA Club World Cup debut at the end of 2017, reaching the semi-finals before losing 1-2 to European champions Real Madrid.
The club’s main man is UAE forward Ali Mabkhout, who was central to the UAE’s recent run to the final of the recent Gulf Cup.
Al Wahda enter the Super Cup as the reigning President’s Cup champions, they are currently second in the UAE Pro League and their Argentine striker Sebastian Tagliabue is the competition’s top scorer with 12 goals in as many games.
Matches to Remember
January 2017 was a month to remember for fans of the two Abu Dhabi rivals, as they clashed twice that month and the two games produced 12 goals.
Al Wahda started their year with a bang against Al Jazira in the President’s Cup quarter-final. The Clarets netted thrice in each half thanks to Tagliabue’s derby hat-trick. A Balazs Dzsudzsák brace and one from Mohammed Al Menhali completed the rout.
Two weeks later, the teams met again, this time in the league. Still wounded from the 0-6 loss, Al Jazira were keen to exact revenge over their rivals.
Mabkhout put the hosts ahead early but Tagliabue equalised instantly. The game was then turned on its head as Al Wahda received three first-half red cards, and Al Jazira went on to win 5-1 with Brazilian Leonardo Pereira grabbing a brace.
Photos: UAE Pro League
