The Asian Cup final match has been confirmed. Host Qatar won 3-2 against Iran in the semifinals and reached the finals for two consecutive tournaments.
Qatar won 3-2 against Iran in the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup at Altuma Stadium in Doha, Qatar on the 8th (Korea time).
Qatar, which advanced to the final by winning the match against Iran, will seek to win the title of the second Asian Cup in a row following the one held in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. At the time, Qatar beat Iraq in the round of 16, Korea in the quarterfinals and the UAE in the semifinals, and secured the Asian Cup title by beating Japan 3-1. Now, Qatar is aiming for its second consecutive Asian Cup title in the tournament to be held in the country.
On the other hand, Iran, which had been considered a favorite along with Korea, Japan and Australia, failed to win the title for the first time in 48 years. Iran, which was far from winning the title since the 1976 event in Iran, challenged for the title in this event. Japan and Australia, which were mentioned as candidates for the championship, were eliminated in the quarterfinals and Korea in the semifinals, giving Iran a golden opportunity, but Iran failed to advance to the final again.
Iranian coach Amir Galenoy chose a 4-2-3-1 formation. Sardar Azmoun was placed on the front line, and Alerija Jahanbakhsh, Saman Godos and Mehdi Taremi supported Azmoun in the second line. The third line was played by Saeed Ezzatolahi and Omid Ebrahimi. The defense consisted of Ehsan Hajsafi, Hossein Kanani, Shoja Khalilzadeh, and Ramin Rezaian. The goal was defended by Alireza Beiranband.
Qatar’s coach Marquez Lopez responded in a 4-4-2 formation. Ace Akram Afif and Almoese Ali led the attack. Ambitious Gaber, Mohammed Awad, Ahmed Fati and Yusuf Abdurisag formed the midfield. Pedro Miguel, Almahdi Ali, Lucas Mendes, and Homan Elamin built the defense. The goalkeeper’s gloves were worn by Meshal Barsham.
Iran took the lead by scoring the first goal early. In the fourth minute of the first half, the ball thrown from Jahanbakhshi’s throw hit Ezzatolahi’s head and flowed backward. Azmun, who was behind him, attempted an overhead kick shot, and the ball went into the goal. Qatar, which gave up a point early, fought back with a shot after the key Afif of the attack dribbled through in the fifth minute of the first half, but was blocked by the goalkeeper.
Qatar had no choice but to raise the line from the beginning for the equalizer. They launched attacks around Afif and Ali at the front line and tapped Iran’s defense. Iran aimed for the back of Qatar’s defense. If Qatar had Afif and Ali, Iran aimed for additional goals with Azmoun and Taremi at the forefront.
Qatar scored the equalizer. Afif, who received a long pass on counterattack after blocking Iran’s attack in the 17th minute of the first half, gave it to the back, and Ille Garber connected with a shot. Garber’s shot was deflected off Ezatolahi’s foot and crossed the goal line. With Garber’s goal, Qatar successfully balanced the match on time.
As the game returned to square one, Iran had no choice but to be aggressive. Iran attempted to attack the sides by utilizing Godos and Jahanbakh city on the sides. The two players, who joined the attack along with Taremi and Azmoun, tried to shake Qatar’s defense. 마카오카지노도메인
Qatar continued its momentum without being pushed back. In the 31st minute of the first half, Iran’s defense made a pass miss by Ebrahimi and this ball was directed to Afif. Afif drove the ball and ran towards the goal with his right footed shot from inside the penalty box, but was blocked by the goalkeeper. He grabbed the second ball and attempted to shoot upward.