A 1-1 positive draw settled the top match between Al-Zawraa and Erbil in the league, in a game where the advantage shifted and small details favored the guests, who walked away with a valuable point raising their tally to 46 points in fifth place, while Erbil remained third with 51 points.

Erbil started the match with a clear advantage, imposing their rhythm through possession, short passing, and pressure in the final third, creating a series of attempts that collided with the remarkable brilliance of Al-Zawraa's goalkeeper Hussein Hassan, who was present in timing and place.

On the other hand, Al-Zawraa relied on defensive organization and disciplined withdrawal, relying on quick counterattacks to try to exploit spaces behind Erbil's full-backs.

Despite the continuous pressure from the hosts, Al-Zawraa managed to keep their net clean until the end of the first half, leaving with a 0-0 draw, an ideal result considering the course of play and their significant absences.

With the start of the second half, Erbil quickly translated their advantage, as Michael Cabrera opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, giving 'Holler' the deserved lead after a series of attempts.

Cabrera was not content with that and returned to shake the net again in the 61st minute, adding a second goal for Erbil before the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened and canceled the goal due to a handball. The decision kept the difference to one goal and mentally brought Al-Zawraa back into the match.

Al-Zawraa, suffering from significant absences, seized the moment of transformation. In the 72nd minute, Bryan Riascos succeeded in scoring the equalizer 1-1, bringing the match back to square one and giving his team a significant morale boost.

The final minutes witnessed mutual attempts without changing the result, as the referee blew the final whistle on a draw that rearranged impressions more than it rearranged numbers.

With this draw, Erbil raised their tally to 51 points in third place, while Al-Zawraa reached 46 points in fifth place. For Al-Zawraa, the point feels like a victory considering the absences and Erbil's dominance for long periods; as for Erbil, they will feel that two valuable points slipped away after Cabrera's second goal was canceled and not settling matters during moments of superiority.