The Asian Cup group stages have reached game three, and in Group C, the top two teams, Iran and UAE, clash in the fight for the top spot in the standings.
Iran has enjoyed an impressive campaign in Group C, as they currently sit top of the group table, having won 4-1 against Palestine and recorded a 1-0 win over Hong Kong.
The victories were enough to seal Iran’s spot in the knockout rounds of the competition.
UAE have taken four points from their two group games, and a draw in this clash could be enough to seal an automatic spot in the knockout stages. Even if Palestine wins and UAE loses, the latter could still progress courtesy of a superior goal difference.
Paulo Bento’s team kicked off the competition with a 3-1 win over Hong Kong before Palestine held them 1-1 in their second group game.
Iran winning their opening two games at the Asian Cup will not come as a massive surprise, as the west Asia nation has won six of their previous eight matches in the competition while suffering just one defeat.
In the 2019 edition, they made it to the semi-final, only to suffer a 3-0 defeat against Japan.
Palestine’s results at the Asian Cup have been mixed over the years, although they have suffered just one defeat in their previous six outings in the competition. That six-game run includes two wins in normal time and an extra-time victory.
Forebet predicts that Iran will record a victory in a high-scoring encounter to finish the group with a perfect nine points from their three group games.