A battle over the ball (unseen) between Bader Al-Mutawa and Ali Aziz.

KUWAIT CITY, May 1: The Zain Premier League returns tonight with two key fixtures in the third round of the championship group. Kuwait Club will take on Al-Salmiya at 5:35 pm at Jaber Al-Mubarak Stadium, followed by the highly anticipated derby between traditional rivals Al-Arabi and Al-Qadsiya at 7:00 pm at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium.

The round concludes tomorrow with a decisive clash between Al-Fahaheel and Al-Tadamon, also scheduled at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium at 7:00 pm.

With the league approaching its climax, the title battle is now limited to Kuwait Club, which tops the standings with 51 points, and second-placed Al-Arabi, with 49 points. The remaining teams—Al-Qadsiya (38), Al-Salmiya (32), Al-Fahaheel (30), and Al-Tadamon (20)—are focused on improving their positions and building momentum ahead of the Amir’s Cup.

Tonight’s derby marks the fifth meeting between Al-Arabi and Al-Qadsiya this season. Al-Arabi holds the upper hand, having won three of the previous four encounters: 2-1 and 4-2 in league play and a 1-0 victory in the Crown Prince Cup semifinals last week. Al-Qadsiya's lone win came in the Super Cup, a 1-0 result.

For Al-Arabi, only a win will keep its title hopes alive as it chases leader Kuwait Club. The team enters the match with high morale after securing a spot in the Crown Prince Cup final. Meanwhile, Al-Qadsiya, with third place nearly secured, faces less pressure but is determined to restore pride and fine-tune its squad ahead of its Amir Cup opener against Burgan on May 10.

Qadsiya will be without several key players, including Moaz Al-Dhafiri, Khaled Ibrahim, Abdullah Mutawa, and Ahmed Shabib. The availability of goalkeeper Khaled Al-Rashidi and forward Mohammed Soula remains uncertain.

In the earlier fixture, Kuwait Club will look to continue its dominant run over Al-Salmiya, having beaten it 4-3 and 3-1 in the league and 4-1 in the Super Cup. The league leader is riding high after a dramatic 4-2 comeback win against Kazma that secured its place in the Crown Prince Cup final against Al-Arabi on May 19.

With momentum on its side, Kuwait Club is focused on taking another step toward the title. Al-Salmiya, on the other hand, approaches the match with less pressure and is primarily using the fixture to gear up for its Amir Cup quarterfinal showdown with Al-Nasr on May 27.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff