Iran shall be attempting to extend their seven-match unbeaten streak this Thursday when they travel to the Zabeel Stadium to face United Arab Emirates.
This will be the third game of the World Cup 2022 qualifying process for both teams, and so far each country is undefeated in Group A.
Match preview
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Everything is poised for Thursday to provide an exciting football match with both Iran and United Arab Emirates currently undefeated in Group A.
The hosts actually have a nine-match run without a loss now, bringing plenty of belief into this game because of that, with the team proving to be an attacking threat in each game.
However, United Arab Emirates have been unable to win either of their first two fixtures in this group, instead having drawn both games.
Their qualification campaign began with a goalless match against Lebanon and they followed that up with a 1-1 result when they hosted Syria, despite the fact that they took the lead in the 11th minute via Ali Mabkhout.
They have only ever appeared in the World Cup once, which took place back in 1990, and they will be keen to get back to that grand stage for the tournament in 2022.
The visitors have started the stronger of the two, having won each game to lead the table with six points, being the only team to do so in Group A.
Their campaign began with a home fixture against Syria where a goal from Alireza Jahanbakhsh proved to be enough to settle the difference between them.
Iran then followed that up with another clean sheet and a strong 3-0 victory as they travelled to face Iraq and the talented winger was on hand to score again, doing so in the second minute of the match.
This was then followed by goals from Mehdi Taremi and Ali Gholizadeh as they dominated the contest in order to continue their impressive form as of late.
They are currently enjoying a seven-match unbeaten streak which has put a lot of confidence into the squad, who have only conceded once throughout that period of time.
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Team News
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Due to the impressive performances as of late, United Arab Emirates could end up with a very similar starting lineup to what they have used in their previous matches.
Abdullah Ramadan was brought into the team for the draw against Syria, and he could retain his place in the midfield, although there will be competition from Abdulla Hamad.
Iran will be sure to start Jahanbakhsh, who has proven to be a brilliant attacking threat for the team, having scored twice in Group A already.
It is unlikely there will be any changes made defensively either after they have been so impressive at the back as of late, having yet to concede in the first two games.
United Arab Emirates possible starting lineup:
Khasif; Al-Ahbabi, Abbas, Abdulrahman, Khamis; Ramadan, Hassan, Alblooshi; Lima, Caoi, Mabkhout
Iran possible starting lineup:
Beiranvand; Noorafkan, Khalilzadeh, Kanaanizadegan, Moharrami; Jahanbakhsh, Amiri, Afagh, Nourollahi; Taremi, Azmoun
We say: United Arab Emirates 1-2 Iran
Neither team will want to lose their respective unbeaten record that they have heading into Thursday, but Iran could prove to be the stronger of the two.
They have showcased a ruthless edge when it comes to securing three points in their games, and that ability to take a lead and then defend it could see them remain top of Group A with another three points.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a United Arab Emirates win with a probability of 47.95%. A win for Iran had a probability of 27.61% and a draw had a probability of 24.4%.
The most likely scoreline for a United Arab Emirates win was 1-0 with a probability of 9.73%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.45%) and 2-0 (7.98%). The likeliest Iran win was 0-1 (7.04%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.53%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 7% likelihood.
