Iran vs Qatar
, KO: 15:00 Feb 7, 2024, Al Thumana Stadium
Qatar continue their AFC Asian Cup defence as they battle Iran in a semi-final clash on Wednesday. Both teams have impressed in the competition but the Iranians have a good record against Qatar and should have the upper hand in this one.
Iran claimed a 2-1 victory over Japan to secure their place in Wednesday’s semi-final clash. They fought back from a goal down with second half efforts from Mohammad Mohebi and Alireza Jahanbakhsh earning them the win.
Seeking their first Asian Cup title since 1976, the Iranians have looked imperious in this tournament. They are yet to taste defeat in the competition and will take plenty of confidence from their quarter-final victory over record winners Japan.
Iran have plenty of attacking quality and the goals have flowed freely, with the likes of Jahanbakhsh and Mehdi Taremi impressing. However, Amir Ghalenoei’s men have struggled to maintain their discipline at the back, keeping just one clean sheet in their five matches so far.
Qatar needed penalties before seeing off Uzbekistan in their quarter-final fixture. They battled to a 1-1 draw after Utkir Yusupov’s own-goal was cancelled out by the Uzbekistanis and went on to secure the victory in the shootout.
The Qataris are attempting a successful defence of the Asian Cup title and have looked solid throughout the competition. Tintin Marquez’s men are unbeaten in the competition but appear to have come through an easier route than Iran, who could be considered their first real test.
Like Iran, Qatar have also looked sharp in attack with Almoez Ali, Hassan Al Haydos and Akram Afif all looking sharp. However, they have looked vulnerable at the back in the knockout stage, conceding in their last two matches.
How the bookies view it
Iran have the upper hand on the bookies and are priced at 4/5 by bet365 to claim the win. A victory for Qatar is valued at 17/4 by 10bet while a draw is set at odds of 23/10 by William Hill.
Head to head
Iran have a 10-2 advantage with five draws from 17 previous matches against Qatar. The Iranians have won the last six meetings and picked up a 4-0 victory in a friendly back in October.
Players to watch
Mehdi Taremi was suspended in the quarter-final and is set to return on Wednesday. The FC Porto striker has three goals in the competition and is priced at 2/1 with bet365 to maintain his scoring run.
Akram Afif has four goals in the competition and will be the one to watch for Qatar. The forward is priced at 15/4 by bet365 to get on the score sheet on Wednesday.
Anything else catch the eye?
There is plenty of attacking quality on display and both teams could be backed to score at 5/4 with Paddy Power. Iran saw over 2.5 goals in their previous fixture and a repeat is priced at 6/4 with Paddy Power while over 3.5 goals is valued at 7/2 with Unibet.
Iran have led at the break in four of their five matches in the competition and could be set for a halftime win at 6/4 with BoyleSports.
This match between Iran and Qatar will be played on Feb 7, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Iran vs Qatar prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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