The eyes of Iraqi football fans will be on the Al-Shaab International Stadium in Baghdad next Monday evening, where the famous stadium will host one of the strongest derbies of the capital when Al-Shorta meets its traditional rival Al-Zawraa at 5:00 PM Baghdad time, as part of the 28th round of the Iraq Stars League.

Al-Shorta enters the derby clash with high spirits after a wide victory in the last round against Amanat Baghdad with a result of 4-1, a victory that raised its tally to 59 points in second place in the standings. 

The "Harp" understands that any slip could take it away from the race for the lead with Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, which is at the top with 63 points, so it will throw all its weight to collect the three points and continue the pressure in the remaining rounds.

Al-Shorta holds a moral advantage before the meeting, having settled the first phase encounter against Al-Zawraa with a 2-1 result, and seeks to repeat the superiority and confirm its dominance over the derby this season. The team is experiencing technical and physical stability and relies on its attacking line, which scored 4 goals in the last match.

On the other hand, Al-Zawraa enters the match in fifth place with 48 points, coming from a valuable away draw against Zakho 1-1 in the last round. 

Despite being relatively far from the title race, the encounter with Al-Shorta remains a special championship for the "Nawaris" and their fans, for its historical rivalry and fan prestige.

Al-Zawraa seeks to restore its reputation after the first leg defeat and achieve a victory that restores balance and disrupts its direct competitor at the top. The team understands that the derby does not recognize point differences and that moral motivation and historical pride might be enough to overturn all expectations on the green field.