Saudi Arabia v Qatar: Top spot on the line in Group E
Top spot is hanging in the balance in Group E when Qatar and Saudi Arabia clash in Abu Dhabi in the Asian Cup on Thursday.
The two groups have won their opening two matches to anchor movement to the knockout stages, with Qatar driving the path on account of their 6-0 whipping of North Korea last time out.
They have never completed best in the gathering stage, however, giving crisp inspiration to Felix Sanchez's men against one as Asia's heavyweights.
Qatar have a magnificent record against the three-time victors with three successes, four draws and one thrashing from their past eight gatherings.
The type of Almoez Ali has been a specific feature for the 2022 World Cup has, yet goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb says the solidarity inside Qatar's squad is what is driving them forward this year.
"Our quality, as I stated, lies in our cooperation. The mentor has set us up well, regardless of whether in assault or barrier," he said.
"Almoez and Akram [Afif] are great players and with the assistance of alternate players, have helped Qatar advance. We are one group - regardless of whether the 11 players who begin, those on the seat and the training staff.
"Our soul is high as we truly need to do well in the Asian Cup. We have buckled down and will keep doing as such as we need to advance the extent that we can in the challenge.
"When we came here, it was with the arrangement of taking it one diversion at any given moment. After two successes, our certainty has been helped. We will get ready well for the match and our point is to get the three points."
After two agreeable gathering diversions, Saudi Arabia will give a sterner test in the fight for best spot, and the Green Falcons' manager Juan Antonio Pizzi says his side are resolved to move over their last adversaries.
"We will attempt to do our most extreme to win," the Argentine told a media meeting. "We will play energetically and whatever adversary we confront [in the knockouts] we are prepared for them.
"What is important is competitions is great outcomes, and that is the thing that occurred in our initial two amusements against Lebanon and North Korea."
Forward Fahad Al Muwallad included: "Our capability does not imply that we belittle the significance of the amusement. We guarantee to play each diversion with greatest quality."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
SAUDI ARABIA – Abdulaziz Al Bishi
QATAR – Almoez Ali
History allures for best goalscorer Almoez Ali in Thursday's experience, the 22-year-old striker having just scored five objectives in the challenge up until this point. His four against North Korea anchored Qatar's movement, and should he net again in Abu Dhabi he would be the principal player to score six objectives in the gathering stage since 2000.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- All three past Asian Cup experiences between Saudi Arabia and Qatar have finished in a draw – they all occurred in the gathering stages (1984, 1992, 2000). The Saudis have never driven anytime in those three recreations.
- Saudi Arabia have won three of their last four Asian Cup recreations (L1), holding consecutive clean sheets – they last went longer without yielding in the challenge while in transit to winning the 1988 competition (three back to back clean sheets).
- Qatar's 6-0 win against North Korea in their last match was their greatest ever win in an Asian Cup coordinate.
- Almoez Ali has scored five objectives in his two appearances at the current year's Asian Cup – he could turn into the primary player to score six objectives in a solitary Asian Cup competition since South Korea's Lee Dong-Gook in 2000.
- Mohammed Al Owais is yet to yield a solitary objective at the current year's competition making him the principal Saudi Arabia goalkeeper to keep two clean sheets amid the gathering phases of a solitary Asian Cup since Mohammed Al-Deayea in 2000.
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