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The 17th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the biggest football event in Asia, started in UAE on 5th of January 2019. Presently the group league matches are underway. In this edition of the AFC Asian Cup, 24 teams are participating. They have been divided into 6 groups, each containing 4 teams.
This edition of the Asian Cup is of special significance to the Indian football fans, as India has managed to qualify in this tournament after 7 years, i.e., for the first time since 2011. This is only the fourth time that India has qualified for the AFC Asian Cup.
The Indian team has been placed in Group A alongside hosts UAE, Thailand and Bahrain. They came into the tournament at the back of some good and consistent performances in the international matches over the last 2 years.
As a result, they are placed within the top 100 in FIFA World Rankings (95th at present, after the Thailand match) and are the second highest ranked team in their group, behind the hosts UAE (Ranked 79th). Because of India's recent form and ranking, there have been expectations of a good show from the team.
Schedule of India's Group Stage matches in the tournament:
1st Match: 6th January 2019; Thailand vs India
2nd Match: 10th January 2019; India vs UAE
3rd Match: 14th January 2019; India vs Bahrain
India's brilliant beginning
India began their Asian Cup campaign against Thailand on the 6th of January, i.e., day before yesterday. Although India was ahead of Thailand in the FIFA rankings, Thailand was the favourite going into the match, because of their better past record and more exposure in big tournaments.
However, the Indian team surprised everybody, as they came out, all guns blazing. They dominated Thailand and won by an unbelievable score of 4-1. Sunil Chhetri, their biggest star, led from the front, as he scored the first 2 goals and was instrumental behind the third.
This huge win puts India at the top of Group A. As a result of this memorable win, their chances of advancing to the last 16, i.e., the knockout rounds, has also become quite bright.
However, the result of their next 2 matches against heavyweights UAE and Bahrain will ultimately determine, whether India can advance further or not. But after seeing India's performance against Thailand, the fans can definitely be hopeful.
In this article, we try and see where India stands, compared to their next opponent, i.e., UAE and what are their chances of beating UAE and continuing their dream run.
#1 FIFA Rankings: UAE ahead
UAE is presently ranked 79th in the world and is the top-ranked team in this group. India are presently ranked 95th in the world and hence are behind UAE in terms of FIFA Rankings.
#2 Head to head record: UAE ahead
Total Matches: 13
UAE Won: 8
India Won: 2
Draws: 3
In terms of head to head record, UAE is way ahead of India. They have beaten India 8 times and drew on 3 occasions, while India have managed to win only 2 matches thus far. The last win for India came 17 years ago, in 2001. The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 2-2 draw.
#3 Present form: India ahead
The Indian team has not only been in great form in this tournament, but they have been in very good form, over the last 2 years. They have drawn against top Asian sides such as China and Oman and beaten teams such as Thailand, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar.
On the other hand, UAE's performance has been inconsistent in recent past. In the first match of the tournament also, they were held to a 1-1 draw by a lower ranked opponent, viz Bahrain.
#4 Home advantage: UAE ahead
Since UAE will play in front of their home crowd and on their home turf, that will be an added advantage for them. However, India will also have quite a strong group of supporters cheering for them.
Conclusion
After comparing various parameters, we see that UAE goes into the match as favourites against India. However, the gap between the two teams is not very much. So if India is able to put up a spirited show, as they did against Thailand, then anything can happen. The Indian football fans can definitely dream of another fairy tale victory for their side against the hosts, UAE.
