Saudi Arabia vs Pakistan Prediction: Saudi are eyeing third WC qualification

Saudi Arabia will welcome Pakistan at Abdullah Al Dabil Stadium in Game Week 1 of the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Saudi are eyeing third world cup qualification. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Saudi Arabia, who will host the 2030 World Cup, are currently focusing on qualifying for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. They have previously qualified for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, giving them hope of securing a spot in their third consecutive World Cup. In order to advance to the third stage of the qualifying process, Saudi Arabia must finish in the top two of their group, which includes Jordan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan. Although they are expected to perform well and finish at the top, they have been struggling lately, failing to win any of their last eight matches (with one draw and seven losses). Roberto Mancini, their head coach, is still searching for his first victory in this role. 

Mancini has selected a squad for the upcoming qualifiers against Pakistan and Jordan consisting entirely of players from the Saudi Pro League. The Saudi Arabian team is expected to start Mohammed Al-Owais in goal, with Hassan Tambakti and Ali Al-Bulayhi potentially forming the central defense. Saleh Al-Shehri, who has scored 11 international goals, is likely to start the game alongside Salem Al-Dawsari and Abdulrahman Ghareeb in a front three.

Saudi Arabia could field Al-Owais in goal, with Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Al-Bulayhi, and Al-Shahrani forming the defense. Al-Ghamdi, N. Al-Dawsari, and Hazazi may play in midfield, while Ghareeb, S. Al-Dawsari, and Al-Shehri could form the attacking trio

On the other hand, Pakistan successfully made it to the second round after defeating Cambodia 1-0 over two legs. Despite initially drawing 0-0 in the away leg, Pakistan secured their place in the next stage when Harun Hamid scored the winning goal. This campaign also serves as a chance for Pakistan to qualify for both the World Cup and the 2027 Asia Cup, which they have never done before. If they fail to secure a top-two spot, their World Cup dreams will be dashed, but they will still have a chance to continue in the Asia Cup qualifying round. Considering their record of only one win in their last 14 matches (with one draw and twelve losses), Pakistan knows that their upcoming match against Saudi Arabia on Thursday will be a difficult challenge.

Pakistan has the majority of their squad playing domestically, although there are a few players who compete in Europe. Yousuf Butt, Abdullah Iqbal, and Abdul Arshad play in Denmark, while Rahis Nabi currently plays in the Cypriot second division. Otis Khan, a forward for Grimsby Town in the English League Two, is also a part of the Pakistan squad, along with uncapped Imran Kayani, who plays in the seventh tier of English football for Whitehawk.

Pakistan may start with Butt in goal, supported by Hayat, M. Khan, Iqbal, Shah in defense. Ullah, Ghazi, Uzair, Nabi, Dost could play in midfield, with Arshad leading the attack.

Despite Saudi Arabia's six-match winless streak, they are ranked significantly higher than Pakistan and it is expected that their superior quality will lead them to a comfortable victory on Thursday. The team is expected to win by significant number of goals.