Palestine and the United Arab Emirates will face off in Group C of the Asian Cup at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.
Palestine is still searching for its first victory in an Asian Cup tournament, while the UAE is tied with Iran atop the group after a 3-1 win over Hong Kong.
Match Preview
Palestine played against Iran in their opening match and lost 4-1. The team has extended their winless run to eight games in all competitions, and they need to improve their offensive quality if they want a chance of progressing beyond the group stage.
In their last five competitive fixtures, they have only scored one goal, and they have failed to score in their two 2026 World Cup qualifying matches played thus far.
The four goals they conceded against Iran were more than the three they gave up in their entire 2019 group stage campaign.
A defeat to the UAE, coupled with a victory or draw by Iran against Hong Kong, would end Palestine’s hopes of entering the knockout stage in their third successive appearance at the Asian Cup.
After a strong performance in their opening match, the UAE has the inside track to a place in the knockout stage of this tournament for the third successive campaign.
A win on Thursday will likely be enough to book their place in the last 16 as long as Hong Kong does not upset one of the favorites, Iran.
Team News
Ataa Jaber sat out the opening encounter for Palestine due to an unknown injury, while Mahdi Issa, Baraa Kharoub, and Samer Zubaida are still seeking their first appearances with the senior squad.
The UAE’s record goal scorer, Ali Mabkhout, sat out of their match versus Hong Kong and remains two caps behind Abdulrahim Jumaa and Ismail Al Hammadi for fourth all-time.
Possible Lineups
Palestine: (4-4-2)
Hamadeh;
Al-Battat, Termanini, Khalil, Saldana;
Seyam, Kharoub, Rashid, Batran;
Dabbagh, Z. Qunbar.
United Arab Emirates: (4-3-3)
Eisa;
Sultan, Al Hammadi, Al-Hashemi, Idrees;
Al-Zaabi, Nader, Ramadan;
Canedo, Adil, Lima.
Prediction: Palestine 0-2 United Arab Emirates
Palestine has a tough match ahead of them against an experienced side like the UAE, and they are likely to be on the back foot. We predict that Palestine will succumb to the pressure, and the UAE will secure a 2-0 victory.
