FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers: Round 3
Stadium: Beijing National Stadium
10th September 2024
China welcomes Saudi Arabia to the Beijing National Stadium in Match-Day 3 of the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. China is recuperating from a heavy loss against their rivals Japan. Who does take the win after 90 minutes?
Claim Your Welcome Bonus!China form
China got off to a horrible start in their last outing against Japan and were down 2-0 at the half before allowing five more goals in the second half to lose 7-0. Pressure is now squarely on Ivankovic's team to fare better in their next Group C match as they seek to advance into their second World Cup final.
China finished last in the 2002 World Cup, failing to advance past the group stage. The country has qualified ever since, struggling all the way through. With just seven victories in 18 matches prior to the Qatar World Cup qualifiers, China lost 1-0 against South Korea to categorize in the next round of qualification, finishing second in Group C.
In the previous meetings, China have seven wins while they have lost seven and drawn six in the 20 played matches against Saudi Arabia. In a recent World Cup qualifier, Saudi Arabia and China tied 1-1 in March 2022.
China Predicted Lineup
Wang Dalei; Yang Zexiang, Jiang Guangtai, Zhu Chenjie, Liu Yang; Xie Wenneng, Li Yuanyi, Jiang Shenglong, Xu Haoyang; Wu Lei, Zhang Yuning
Saudi Arabia form
Saudi Arabia has lost only one of its last eight matches against China across all competitions, including a 3-2 victory in the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup. Honestly, the Green Falcons were expected to start their campaign in Group C with a win against Indonesia, but they had to come from behind to secure a 1-1 draw after a tough match on Thursday. Under the stewardship of Roberto Mancini, Saudi Arabia has made the last two World Cups, only to crash out in the group stage on both occasions. Although having reached the last 16 of the event in 1994, the Green Falcons have failed to reach round two at any tournament since then. It would definitely be some achievement if Mancini could lead them through to the knockout rounds of the event in 2026.
Saudi Arabia Predicted 11
Al Owais; Tambakti, Lajami, Al Bulayhi; Al Ghannam, Al Khalbari, Al-Juwayr, Al Harbi; Kanno, Radif, Al Dawsari
China vs Saudi Arabia Match Analysis
It will be difficult to call the winner of this game as both teams will be looking to get back to winning ways. Saudi Arabia underperformed in their previous game, but we believe Mancini's men will still pick up a crucial win come Tuesday.