Захо claimed a narrow victory over Gaz al-Shamal in the first round of the Iraqi League on Friday. The hosts took all three points with a 1:0 win in front of their own supporters. It was not a game that demanded much from either side early on, and that suited both teams fine.
And here's the thing — the decisive moment arrived late. М. Saadoon found the net in the 70th minute, and that was enough to settle it. The goal came after a period of cautious play where neither side wanted to take unnecessary risks.
To be fair, the game was never going to be anything special. Discipline was the main talking point, with Gaz al-Shamal picking up two yellow cards against one for the hosts. Neither side threw bodies in the way, but the visitors looked slightly more anxious as the clock ticked on.
By then, the table told its own story. Both sides sat on five points from five games, each with one win, two draws and two defeats. Захо rested in 15th place while Gaz al-Shamal occupied 13th — a gap that felt larger than the points suggested.
The hosts had not been in great form beforehand, losing three of their last five matches and drawing two. This result at least gave them something to build on, even if it was only a single point ahead of their visitors.