Al Arabi player tries to bend the ball over the defensive wall.

KUWAIT CITY, April 21: As the second round of the Zain Premier League Championship Group concluded, the competition intensified between the top two teams, Kuwait Club and Al-Arabi. Al-Arabi trimmed the points gap to just two after securing a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Al-Salmiya, building on Kuwait Club’s 2-2 draw with Al-Fahaheel earlier.

Following a four-point gap after the first round, Al-Arabi had hoped for other teams' help to halt Kuwait Club’s momentum. With a draw against Al-Fahaheel, Al-Arabi successfully stopped Kuwait Club’s progress, much like it did with Al-Green, leaving the title race in Kuwait Club’s hands. The team now controls its destiny for the league title.

Kuwait Club, still at the top of the table with 51 points, failed to impress in its draw with Al-Fahaheel. Despite dominating possession for much of the match, it struggled to break down Al-Fahaheel’s defense, with several scoring chances wasted. However, Kuwait Club still found a way to breach the formidable Ahmed Adi, Al-Fahaheel’s goalkeeper, and came away with a crucial point. Meanwhile, Al-Fahaheel, in fifth place with 30 points, proved tough competition and made it clear it won't be an easy opponent in its upcoming Crown Prince Cup quarterfinal against Al-Arabi.

Al-Arabi, currently second with 49 points, put on a commanding first-half performance against Al-Salmiya, scoring three goals and missing several others. However, it was nearly caught off guard in the closing stages, with Al-Salmiya scoring two late goals. Despite the pressure, Al-Arabi held on for the win.

In the third spot, Al-Qadsiya (38 points) delivered a dominant 5-0 win over sixth-placed Al-Tadamon (20 points), solidifying its third-place position. The team’s coach, Zeljko Petrovic, also took the opportunity to rotate his squad, giving substitute players like Faisal Al-Shatti, Khaled Sabah, and Jassim Al-Matar valuable match experience ahead of the Crown Prince Cup quarterfinal clash with Al-Salmiya.

Similarly, Al-Salmiya (32 points) rotated their lineup, with coach Ante Miša fielding substitutes such as Saif Al-Hashan and Yousef Al-Onaizan, to prepare for the upcoming match against Al-Qadisiyah.

Al-Qadsiya’s Rashed Al-Dosari earned the Best Player of the Round award for his outstanding performance against Al-Tadamon. Al-Dosari was instrumental in several of the team’s five goals, showcasing his influence throughout the match.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff