Wydad Casablanca vs Al Ahly Predictions - Red Devils to avoid defeat to win Champions League

Al Ahly hold a 5-3 advantage over Wydad across 12 previous meetings with four draws.

The sides met a week ago in the first leg as the Red Devils won 2-1 at home in Cairo.

Wydad beat Simba SC in the quarters and Mamelodi Sundowns in the semis to reach this stage. They’ve lost just two of their last 21 matches in all competitions.

They progressed on the away goals rule vs Sundowns after a 0-0 home draw and a 2-2 draw in South Africa. Two domestic wins followed: 2-1 at Difaa El Jadida in a Cup match and 2-0 at home Moghreb Tétouan 2-0 in the Botola Pro League. 

Last week’s first leg of the final saw a 2-1 defeat to Al Ahly in Egypt. Wydad pulled a goal back in the 86th minute to keep the tie alive.

Coach Sven Vandenbroeck switched to midfield diamond last week. He could revert to a more balanced 4-3-3 for the second leg. 

Attacker Saif-Eddine Bouhra netted the crucial goal off the bench last week. He could start this one alongside Bouly Sambou.

El Motie; El Amloud, Aboulfath, Zola, Attiat-Allah; Daoudi, Jabrane, Jaadi; Ounajem, Sambou, Bouhra.

Al Ahly are pushing for the treble. They’ve lifted the Egyptian Cup, are top of the league and have won 13 of their last 14 fixtures with one draw.

Al Ahly got a 1-0 win in the Egyptian Super Cup final against Pyramids FC before a 3-0 away win at ES Tunis in the CAF semi-final first leg. The Red Devils won the second leg 1-0 to reach this final. 

After three league wins in a row to nil, they won the final first leg 2-1 last week vs Wydad AC. They led 2-0 but conceded a potentially costly goal near the end.

Coach Marcelo Koller is without injured goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy. Mostafa Shobeir will start once again. 

Defensive midfielder Hamdi Fathi was back from injury last week. Yasser Ibrahim will be preferred to Mahmoud Metwaly at the back.

Shobeir; Hany, Abdelmonem, Ibrahim, Maaloul; Fathi, Dieng, Attia; Tau, Kahraba, El Shahat.

The odds for this match are yet to be released. I am backing Under 1.5 goals as my best bet and a draw as my value bet.