Al Ahly dominate possession but held to goalless draw by Al Masry

Al Ahly were held to a goalless draw against Al Masry in the 13th round of the Egyptian Premier League at Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria on Sunday.

The Red Eagles dominated possession throughout the match, with Slovenian striker Nejc Gradisar missing two clear-cut chances in the first half that could have given Al Ahly an early lead.

In the 25th minute, Gradisar fired a double-kick shot from inside the penalty area, but Masry goalkeeper Mohamed Shereen made a crucial save.

The striker then attempted another strike into the far corner, but his low shot hit the left post and bounced back into the box, where goalkeeper Mahmoud Hamdy once again denied the effort.

The first half ended goalless, with Al Ahly clearly in control. The defending champions registered 13 shots compared to none from Masry, and dominated possession with 65% compared to Masry’s 35%.

At the break, Al Ahly coach Jess Thorup made a tactical change, bringing on winger Ahmed Abdelkader to replace Taher Mohamed Taher in the frontline.

Thorup also called on Achraf Bancharki, Mohamed Shokri, Mohamed Magdi Afsha, and Mohamed Abdalla in an attempt to find the breakthrough.

Despite their dominance, Al Ahly were unable to score. Ahmed "Zizo" El Sayed had a chance to seal the win with a penalty during the injury time, but his strike was blocked by the left post, ensuring the match ended in a frustrating 0-0 draw.

Al Ahly finished the game with 24 shots, compared to just one blocked attempt from Masry, and maintained control of possession.

The result leaves the defending champions on 23 points from 12 matches.