Aiming to close the gap on the top two places in Group A, Qatar will host second-placed Usbekistan at the Khalifa International Stadium for an AFC World Cup qualifying clash on Thursday afternoon.
The hosts are placed fourth in the group with four points from four games, while the visitors are second with 10 points from their first four outings.
Match preview
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Qatar would have had high hopes of securing an automatic spot for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a top-two finish in Group A of the AFC qualifiers, but after four games, they are struggling in fourth place with just four points from one win, one draw, and two losses.
Tintin Marquez will likely be disappointed with his side's performances given they were undefeated for 11 consecutive matches prior to the third round of AFC World Cup qualifiers, including winning all seven matches as they lifted the 2023 Asian Cup, beating Jordan 3-1 in the final.
They kick-started their Group A campaign with a 3-1 loss to United Arab Emirates, squandering a 1-0 lead as they conceded three second half goals despite dominating the match, followed by an underwhelming 2-2 draw with North Korea.
They bounced back with a first win against Kyrgyzstan in the last international break, but Qatar fell to defeat once again last time out as Iran came from 1-0 down to secure a comfortable 4-1 victory.
Now aiming to secure a much-needed victory to close the gap on the top two, with Uzbekistan sitting second and six points ahead of the hosts, Qatar will have to beat a team they have defeated just twice in the last six meetings at home.
Uzbekistan, meanwhile, have had a fantastic start in their quest to reach the World Cup for the first time, aiming to make their debut in the world's most prestigious tournament.
They headed into the third round of qualifiers having lost just one of their last 15 fixtures, a 3-2 penalty defeat to Qatar after drawing 1-1 in the quarterfinal of the 2023 Asian Cup.
Srecko Katanec, who has been in charge since August 2021, led the side to a 1-0 win against North Korea in their opening group game, followed by victories against Kyrgyzstan and United Arab Emirates as well as drawing 0-0 with Iran.
Those results leave them level on 10 points with Group A leaders Iran but second on goal difference, as well as holding a comfortable six-point lead over the UAE and Qatar, with a win in the next match likely to strengthen their bid for a historic World Cup qualification.
Team News
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Akram Afif and Almoez Ali have scored four of Qatar's seven goals in their four Group A matches so far, and both are likely to start in attack against Uzbekistan.
Elsewhere, Marquez could make a number of changes compared to the side that were destroyed 4-1 by Iran in their last outing in October, with changes in defence likely.
As for Uzbekistan, after securing three wins and a draw from their opening three group games, Katanec could decide to name a similar side for this game against Qatar.
Captain Eldor Shomurodov has scored just once in the four qualifiers so far, and the Roma striker will be eager to boost his tally with an expected start in this match.
Qatar possible starting lineup:
Barsham; Mohammed, Khoukhi, Mendes, Hassan; Moustafa, Hatem, Fathy, Junior; Afif; Ali
Uzbekistan possible starting lineup:
Yusupov; Alikulov, Khusanov, Abdullaev; Turgunboev, Khamrobekov, Shukurov, Nasrullaev; Fayzullaev, Masharipov; Shomurodov
We say: Qatar 1-2 Uzbekistan
While Qatar were victorious the last time these two sides met, winning 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, Usbekistan have been much better in the opening matches of Group A, and we expect the visitors to continue that positive start with a win here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
Iran
Kyrgyzstan
North Korea
Qatar
UAE
Uzbekistan
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Oman
Palestine
South Korea
Australia
Bahrain
China
Indonesia
Japan
Saudi Arabia
