Iran – Qatar

The group stages of the third qualifying round of the World Cup in Asia continue this week, and Iran will host Qatar. The Melli team got off to a good start, winning two and drawing one match, taking second place in the group on goal difference. In contrast, the Maroons started less confidently and are in fourth position with four points after three matches. Iran began qualifying with a 1-0 home victory over Kyrgyzstan, then won again in the United Arab Emirates with the same score. Last week, the team met with the leader of the group Uzbekistan and showed excellent defense, ending the match in a 0-0 draw. Qatar, which won the Asian Cup in February, passed the initial rounds of qualification without any problems. However, in the third round, they were unexpectedly defeated by the UAE (1-3) in the first match of Group A, which was their first defeat in twelve games. Then, in the away match with North Korea, the Qataris split the points, playing 2-2. In the last match, they returned to victory, defeating Kyrgyzstan (3:1) at their home stadium. The upcoming match promises to be intense, given the current forms of both teams.