Round 6 of the Arabian Gulf League throws up some intriguing ties, but none as monumental as Friday night’s clash between behemoths Al Ain and Al Jazira at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.

The game is the biggest in UAE football and both are desperate for a win to add fire to their early season title credentials.

Elsewhere, Sharjah will want to respond after dropping points for the first time last week, while Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club need a response after their first defeat.

Let’s look ahead to the weekend games in the AGL…

THE UAE’S BIGGEST GAME

Al Jazira thrashed Al Ain 5-1 last season.

It may not be the UAE version of El Clasico in name – Al Clasico belongs to the Al Ain v Al Wahda fixture – but Al Ain v Al Jazira is the true equivalent of Barcelona v Real Madrid in the Emirates.

The Arabian Gulf League’s two biggest teams duel in the desert on Friday night, bringing the curtain down on the Round 6 action. And when the dust has settled we will hopefully be basking in the glow of having been enthralled by the latest instalment of a frenzied and famous rivalry.

The Pride of Abu Dhabi were also the pride of this fixture a year ago as they gleaned wins home and away – the stunning 5-1 triumph in front of their own fans as excellent as it was endemic of the Boss’ fallow 2018/19 campaign.

This fixture is filled with a storied  recent past. There was the full-blooded 3-1 win at the Hazza in January 2017, in which former Boss full-back Mohamed Fawzi scored the opener on his return to the Garden City with Jazira. His goal sparked a 3-1 win on their march to the title.

Then there was the 4-3 thriller from October 2014 in which all four Jazira goals were netted by outstanding former Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic.

This game usually delivers. Let’s hope it does once more on Friday.

HOW WILL SHARJAH REACT?

Igor Coronado sparked Sharjah’s fightback last week.

In the face of adversity, Sharjah fought and found a way to get something from the game. As the clock ticked past 90 minutes last Thursday, the King were wobbling to a first defeat of the season, their not so loyal subjects waiting in the wings to pounce on any mistake.

Except the big mistake came from Hatta. Waleed Hassan’s atrocious blind pass just outside his own area was intercepted by Igor Coronado and Coronado did what Coronado does – score. Still, it appeared a mere consolation. Yet 45 seconds later, Hatta failed to cut out a long ball and Coronado this time teed up Ricardo Gomes to poke in the equaliser. What drama.

This is what champions do. They react. Some thought, after lifting their first AGL crown in 23 last season, the King might be content.

But they seem hungrier than ever. Now, they face a Fujairah side hammered 7-1 at home by Al Ain last week. The Wolves should be wary.

YALLA SHABAB

In contrast to Sharjah, Shabab Al Ahli showed their deficiencies in a 1-0 loss at resurgent Al Nasr.

Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s men finished last term strongly and had launched themselves into the title talk for this season. That was only strengthened following a fine start – three wins and a draw from their opening four games.

But while Sharjah willed themselves to a point from a near impossible situation against Hatta, Shabab Al Ahli failed to capitalise, going down to Alvaro Negredo’s acrobatic winner and seeing the talented, but hot-headed, Leonardo sent off.

To compound matters, Al Ain and Jazira wins saw them cede ground to them and lose ground on Sharjah.

Still, the Negredo goal was just one of two conceded this season. It is a blip, but they will want to bounce back this weekend. And hosting a spirited Ajman, who are only three points behind them, is far from straightforward.

CAN NASR CONTINUE TO RIDE THE BLUE WAVE?

In direct conflict to the Al Ain v Al Jazira clash, the biggest Dubai has to offer is Al Wasl v Al Nasr – the Bur Dubai Derby. Yet both combatants have flattered to deceive in recent seasons. In fact both finished closer to the relegation zone last year than they did the No1 spot.

Their travails in recent years is not what we’ve come to expect from two of the country’s most decorated clubs.

Wasl were thrown a lifeline last week with a maiden win of the term, lifting them off the bottom of the table. For Nasr, they are showing even more life, earning a 1-0 victory at home against title-chasing Shabab Al Ahli.

Fortunes have turned a corner it seems since Croat Krunoslav Jurcic was brought back to the UAE to replace Jan Versleijen, after working a miracle at Bani Yas.

Two wins have followed from his first two games in charge as an alarming slide has been arrested. A third against bottom of the table Khorfakkan could propel them into a title challenger.