Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Al Talaba 8th with 53 points, Naft Al-Wasat 20th with 19, 34 apart. Scoring rates set the scale: Al Talaba 1.05 scored and 1 conceded per game, Naft Al-Wasat 0.68 and 1.68, with the league averaging 1.15.
Naft Al-Wasat entered with four losses in a row.
5 previous meetings sit in the GioScore records — Al Talaba 0, draws 4, Naft Al-Wasat 1, at 2.6 goals per meeting. History gives the home side just 0% of the wins in this matchup. Both teams scored in 80% of the meetings.
Al-Madina International Stadium staged the fixture, a ground that holds 32,000. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Al Talaba led 1-0 at the break, before 2 more goals closed it at 1-2.