Tajikistan vs Qatar Prediction: Ali to get on the scoresheet

Qatar made just the start they would have wanted to hosting the Asian Cup when winning 3-0 in their opening game against Lebanon and they will be looking for another comfortable success against Tajikistan on Wednesday.

Tajikistan will also be delighted with their first match as they took a point from their first ever game at an Asian Cup finals tournament and made a positive first impression in a goalless draw against China.

Team News

Neither team has reported any injury issues since their opening games, and both teams made only tactical substitutions in their first outings, with Tajikistan keeping their starting line-up on the field for the first 88 minutes against China.

They had made three changes to their team for that game with Amadoni Kamolov, Alisher Shukurov and Rustam Yatimov now hoping to retain their places after coming in for Amirbek Dzhuraboyev, Pavizdzhom Umarbayev and Mukhriddin Khasanov against China.

Qatar brought in Yusuf Abduriaq and Almahdi Ali Mukhtar for the Lebanon game, with Mostafa Meshall and Homam Ahmed making way.

Match Odds

Qatar are 1/3 favourites to pick up their second win of the Asian Cup when they host 15/2 shots Tajikistan. The draw is a 10/3 chance.

Qatar's last six games have all produced over 2.5 goals and that outcome is priced up at 10/11 with under 2.5 goals at 4/5.

Qatar are 9/2 in the correct-score market to win 2-0, while Tajikistan to win with the only goal of the game is on offer at 18/1. 

Qatar -1 on handicap @ 11/10

Qatar have not yet put a foot wrong in the defence of their Asian Cup crown and while underdogs Tajikistan made a good first impression in the tournament, the host nation should be able to win their second game.

Qatar are 58th in the FIFA world rankings with Tajikistan 48 places behind in 106th, although their recent progress is highlighted by the fact that it is their highest ever placing.

The Crowns are unbeaten in their last six games, winning four of them against Hong Kong, Pakistan, Malaysia and Singapore while drawing with Jordan and China.

Qatar lost their final friendly before the tournament to Jordan, but had won their previous two games by 3-0 scorelines against Cambodia and India and thrashed Afghanistan 8-1 in a World Cup qualifier.

The Maroons also tested themselves at a higher level by taking part in the CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer, qualifying from their group after a draw with Honduras and a 1-0 win over Mexico before losing 4-0 to eventual finalists Panama in the quarter-finals.

That level of form is a fair amount better than anything Tajikistan can boast and the home team should be able to register a comfortable victory by more than one goal. Qatar -1 on the handicap can be backed at 11/10.

Tajikistan's Croatian coach Petar Segrt has insisted he will not give up his attacking approach to games, saying he would rather have drawn the opening game 2-2 or 3-3 than 0-0, and that could leave his team exposed to the classy Qatar attackers.

Qatar should be capable of winning this game by something in the region of 3-0, which is available at 7/1 in the correct-score market.

Almoez Ali anytime goalscorer @ 23/20 

Qatar star Almoez Ali opened his account for the tournament with his team's second goal in the 3-0 win over Lebanon and he looks a solid choice to get on the scoresheet against Tajikistan too.

That strike was his 51st in 105 appearances for Qatar and the 27-year-old, who plays for Al-Duhail in the Qatar Stars League, has been in prolific form in recent matches.

He scored all three goals in Qatar's 3-0 friendly win over Cambodia on New Year's Eve, netted once in the 3-0 World Cup win over India in November and hit four of Qatar's eight goals in another World Cup success against Afghanistan in November.

Ali was the top scorer at the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup with four goals and scored an incredible nine goals in Qatar's 2019 Asian Cup success, finishing five ahead of any other player in the tournament.

Tajikistan are not used to defending against such clinical forwards and Ali looks a good bet to find the net again at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor on Wednesday.