Match Report
Al Shorta went into the game 11th in the table on 5 points; Al Sadd sat 8th on 8 — a 3-point gap. The last five rounds placed Al Sadd no better than 13th for form, against 8th in the standings. Against a league average of 1.35 goals per team per game, Al Shorta ran at 0.75 scored and 2.5 conceded, Al Sadd at 1.5 and 2.
Al Shorta carried a 10-game unbeaten run into this, having scored in 10 consecutive games. Al Shorta had banked 13 of the last 15 points on offer; Al Sadd, 7.
Al-Shaab Stadium in Bagdad, capacity 20,000, hosted the game. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Al Shorta led 1-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 1-1.
Goal scorers
Al Shorta: Dominique Mendy (28') · Al Sadd: Hasan Al-Haydos (62')