Hatta vs Al Ain prediction 17.10.2024

• Competition: UAE President’s Cup
• Date: 17th October 2024
• Kick-off: 12:55 UTC / 14:55 CET
• Venue: Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium

Al Ain will be looking to put an end to their two games losing streak in all competitions on Thursday afternoon when they face Hatta away from home.

Hatta have made a statement in UAE Division One following their relegation from the Pro League at the end of last season. The hosts boast two wins from their two games in the second tier so far, keeping a clean sheet in both. As for the President's Cup, Nenad Vanić's men were impressive in the preliminary round, beating Arabi and Jazira 6-2 on aggregate. They had to beat Al Dhafra on penalties in the play-offs and will face a tough task this week.

Al Ain meanwhile have had a mixed start to their 2024-25 campaign in the top flight. The visitors sit sixth with seven points after winning twice, drawing once and losing once in their four Pro League encounters so far. Hernán Crespo's side go into Thursday's game on a run of consecutive defeats in which they have conceded six goals in total.

Hatta vs Al Ain Betting Tips: Over 2.5 goals

Although Hatta have kept two clean sheets in their last two meetings, they always struggle defensively against Al Ain and I don't expect that to change on Thursday. Tornado conceded at least one goal in each of their last five meetings with Ai Ain. The most recent meeting which was in February this year produced eight goals.

Ai Ain's recent encounters were also loaded with plenty of goals. Both teams found the back of the net in each of their last nine encounters, and bets on over 2.5 goals lost only once in that period.

• Best Tip: Over 2.5 goals
• Hatta vs Al Ain prediction: 2-2