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Bangladesh and Turkmenistan will lock horns at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in their second game of the third round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers on Saturday.
Both teams kicked off their campaigns with losses. Bangladesh fell to a 2-0 loss to Bahrain, while Turkmenistan were beaten 3-1 by Malaysia. Bangladesh have not qualified for the finals since 1980, which remains their only appearance in the competition proper.
Turkmenistan, meanwhile, made it to the group stage in the 2019 edition of the competition but returned empty-handed, losing all three games.
Bangladesh vs Turkmenistan Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have met just once before Saturday's game, in the Asian Games 2002, which Turkmenistan won 3-1.
- Bangladesh have not scored in four games they have played in 2022, conceding four goals and keeping two clean sheets.
- Turkmenistan have played just four games since November 2019, scoring three goals and conceding 11.
- Malaysia and Bahrain are the two other teams in Group E, so the game is a crucial one for both Bangladesh and Turkmenistan to improve their goal difference and increase their chances of finishing second in the group.
- Both teams have a goal difference of -2.
Bangladesh vs Turkmenistan Prediction
Bangladesh usually do well on home turf but struggled against Bahrain in their campaign opener. They conceded twice in quick succession and were unable to bounce back after that.
The main concern for coach Javier Fernandez Cabrera is to improve on the attacking output of his players, who have not opened their account in 2022.
Turkmenistan, meanwhile, have not played much football recently and looked a bit rusty against Malaysia in their opening game but scored once. Abdy Basimow was sent off because of a second yellow card in second-half injury time, so coach Said Seyidow will have to replace the defender for this game.
It could be a low-scoring affair, but the Emerald should eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Bangladesh 0-1 Turkmenistan.
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Bangladesh vs Turkmenistan Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Turkmenistan.
Tip 2: Goals - Over/under 2.5 goals - Under 2.5.
Tip 3: Turkmenistan to score in the first half - Yes.
Tip 4: Both teams to score - No.
