The Crowns suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Maroons on matchday two in the mid-week, while the Cedars are heading into the match on the back of a goalless draw with the Dragon's Team last time out.
Follow Us
Two sides bidding to secure a place in the last-16 stage of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time will face off on Monday as Tajikistan take on Lebanon at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Both teams are tied on one point after playing two Group A-games each, a single point adrift of second-placed China and five away from leaders Qatar. The Crowns suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Maroons on matchday two in the mid-week, while the Cedars are heading into the match on the back of a goalless draw with the Dragon’s Team last time out.
Round 3 starts today! 🔥
Group A ⏰ 6pm
🇶🇦 🆚 🇨🇳
🇹🇯 🆚 🇱🇧What are your predictions? ✍🏼#AsianCup2023 #HayyaAsia pic.twitter.com/ZHgLckiRvZ
— AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 (@Qatar2023en) January 22, 2024
Tajikistan, who are making their Asian Cup debut, have shown that they can compete with the experienced sides in the continent. The Crowns started their campaign with a 0-0 draw with China, before losing out to the Qatar last time out. The Persian Lions went into the fixture against the reigning champions as underdogs, but it was the home goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham who made the first real save of the match, denying Tajikistan attacker Rustam Soirov inside the opening 12 minutes. Five minutes later, Qatar took the lead courtesy Akram Afif’s third goal of the tournament. Tajik goalkeeper Rustam Yatimov’s heroics in front of goal combined with some last-ditch defending prevented the Qatari’s from extending their lead. That should give Petr Segrt’s men confidence heading into this pivotal match, where they will likely need three points to advance into the knockout stage.
Lebanon, on the other hand, suffered a 3-0 thrashing by Qatar in their tournament opener, but then displayed a tidier defensive performance on matchday two against China to earn a point. The Cedars have failed to find the back of the net in three of successive games, while they managed to keep a clean sheet for the first time in this tournament. Coming into the fixture with a negative 3 goal-difference, it goes without saying that a victory may be the only thing that keeps their knockout round hopes alive. A victory on Monday combined with a draw or defeat for China against Qatar, would guarantee Miadrag Radulovic’s side a spot in the last-16 stage.
Tajikistan probable starting lineup: Yatimov, Safarov, Khanonov, Dzhuraboyev, Nazarov, Ayni, Umarbyev, Shukurov, Panjshanbe, Samiev, Dzhalilov
Lebanon probable starting lineup: Matar, Khamis, Mansour, El Zein, Zein, Srour, Tneich, Haidar, Jradi, El-Helwe, Maatouk
Tajikistan
| Opponents | Score |
| Qatar | 0-1 (L) |
| China | 0-0 (D) |
| Hong Kong | 1-2 (W) |
| Pakistan | 1-6 (W) |
| Jordan | 1-1 (D) |
Lebanon
| Opponents | Score |
| China | 0-0 (D) |
| Qatar | 3-0 (L) |
| Saudi Arabia | 0-1 (L) |
| Jordan | 2-1 (W) |
| Bangladesh | 1-1 (D) |
The AFC Asian Cup fixture between Tajikistan and Lebanon will take place at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Monday at 8:30 pm IST.
| Tajikistan vs Lebanon | Key Details |
| Date | January 22 |
| Venue | Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium |
| Kickoff time in Tajikistan | 8:00 pm |
| Kickoff time in Lebanon | 5:00 pm |
| Kickoff time in Qatar | 6:00 pm |
| Kickoff time in India | 8:30 pm |
Football fans in India can live stream the game through Jio Cinema. Meanwhile, those in Tajikistan can catch the live action via Varzish Sport. Football fans in Lebanon can watch the match on beIN Sports Connect and beIN Asian Cup 2.
More football news:
Football flashback: Manchester United and the senseless victory in the Champions League in 1999
