Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — East Riffa 6th with 22 points, Malkia 12th with 3, 19 apart. East Riffa's recent output outran their position: 1st on form over five rounds, 6th in the table. Scoring rates set the scale: East Riffa 1.32 scored and 1.58 conceded per game, Malkia 5 and 2, with the league averaging 1.3.
Al-Ahli Stadium in Manama staged the fixture, a ground that holds 30,000. Half-time and full-time told different stories: it was 1-1 at the break, before 5 more goals closed it at 2-5.