Match Report
Al Shabab went into the game 4th in the table on 3 points; Al Arabi SC sat 2nd on 9 — a 6-point gap. The last five rounds placed Al Shabab no better than 16th for form, against 4th in the standings. Scoring rates set the scale: Al Shabab 1.33 scored and 2 conceded per game, Al Arabi SC 1.8 and 0.8, with the league averaging 1.27.
Momentum sat with Al Arabi SC, winners of their last three. Recent form was uneven: 6/15 points for Al Shabab, 12/15 for Al Arabi SC.
The head-to-head ledger counts 5 games: 0 Al Shabab wins, 4 for Al Arabi SC, 1 draw, at 2.6 goals per meeting.
Al Ramadi Stadium staged the fixture, a ground that holds 18,000. On the scoreboard, it was 0-0 at the break; 5 second-half goals set the final 0-5.
Goal scorers
Al Arabi SC: Salman Al-Awadhi (53'), Zaid Qunbar (60'), Bader Tareq (73'), Yousef Majed (84'), Jomaa Aboud (82')
Key stats
Possession: Al Shabab 42% · Al Arabi SC 58% · Total shots: 8-11 · On target: 0-7 · Corners: 2-5