Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Al-Qasim 9th with 52 points, Karbala 20th with 25, 27 apart. Al-Qasim ranked just 17th in the league on five-round form despite their 9th table position. Against a league average of 1.13 goals per team per game, Karbala ran at 0.74 scored and 1.68 conceded, Al-Qasim at 1.13 and 1.13.
The venue was Karbala Stadium, with room for 9,000 spectators. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Karbala led 1-0 at the break, before 5 more goals closed it at 3-3.
Goal scorers
Karbala: Karim Benarif (21'), Mohamed Ouattara (51'), Hussain Taleb (90') · Al-Qasim: Saif Rashed Hameed (58'), Hareth Hatem (86'), Haidar Majed (85')
Key stats
Total shots: 10-12 · On target: 5-4 · Corners: 4-1