Al Shorta SC — Erbil, Iraqi League

Ashan-Shurta and Erbil shared the points in the Iraqi League's fifth round, ending 0:0 on Thursday evening. The match finished with neither side finding a breakthrough despite both creating chances. To be fair, the result reflected a game where defence outweighed attack at every turn.

By then the pattern was clear enough. Ashan-Shurta had 49 per cent possession against Erbil's 51, but that split barely told the story. The hosts managed six shots on target compared to three for the visitors, yet nothing cleared the line. And here's the thing — it wasn't for lack of trying.

The statistics show a match decided in margins. Ashan-Shurta recorded 179 attacks against 147 for Erbil, with corners sitting at four and five respectively. Two yellow cards for each side suggested tempers occasionally flared, though nothing reached the point of a dismissal. The visitors were reduced to ten only on paper — no red cards were shown.

We had backed Ashan-Shurta at 48 per cent confidence before kickoff. That prediction didn't materialise, and the reason was simple enough: Erbil held their nerve when it mattered. The leaders at the top of the table showed they can grind out results even when not at their fluent best.

The table now sees Erbil extend their lead with eleven points from five games, while Ashan-Shurta remain on eight after two wins, two draws and one defeat. Neither team has lost yet this season, though the visitors are yet to taste defeat. The gap between them remains small — three points in a league where anything can happen.