The much anticipated match between Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and Al-Zawraa proved to be a great advert for the Iraqi game.
The derby between the Baghdad clubs took place at Al-Shaab Stadium with over 65,000 fans in attendance. A noisy atmosphere prior to the match highlighted the magnitude of this encounter as fans began to fill out the stadium over an hour before kick-off. There is a reason why it is regarded to many as the #BaghdadElClasico.
The first half ended goalless which meant it was all to play for in the second 45. The 78th minute approached and Zawraa’s Alaa Abdul-Zahra curled a beautiful strike past Fahad Talib in the Jawiya net to open the scoring.
Less than ten minutes later and Zawraa had the chance to put the game to bed. The Gulls were awarded a penalty with the opportunity to double their advantage. Rising star Mohanad Abdulraheem stepped up to take the spot kick for Zawraa but was denied by the Iraqi U-23 stopper.
On the counter-attack, Jawiya levelled the match. It was an incredible finish from Amjad Radhi which sent The Hawks’ supporters into jubilation.
Watch the highlights from today’s action-packed Baghdad derby here 👇
