Iraq Stars League Title Race Enters Decisive Week in 37th Round

The 37th round of the Iraq Stars League begins Wednesday and could determine the championship, with leaders Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya aiming to clinch the title and the race for continental places also on the line. The penultimate week of the season is expected to reshape the standings and clarify which teams will qualify for external competitions. Fourth-placed Al-Zawraa, on 66 points, faces Al-Naft in the standout Wednesday fixture as it looks to recover after its defeat to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and protect its position. Al-Naft, meanwhile, will be seeking to climb the table. Other Wednesday matches pit Duhok against Al-Kahraba, Diyala against Al-Karma, Mosul against Newroz and Amanat Baghdad against Al-Gharraf. On Thursday, league leaders Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, who top the table with 83 points, visit Naft Maysan and will be targeting the result that would make their title official. Second-placed Al-Shorta, which remains on 76 points after losing to Erbil, will try to return to winning form against Karkh. Al-Talaba, on 63 points and still chasing a place in external tournaments, will face Al-Mina in an effort to close the gap on Al-Zawraa. The week also features Zakho against Erbil and the meeting between last-placed Al-Qasim and Najaf. With every point likely to carry weight, the round is set to decide much of the final table and the teams that will move on to external competitions.