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India will face Syria in the final group fixture of Hero Intercontinental Cup 2019 at the Transtadia Arena of Ahmedabad on Tuesday. India are coming off two consecutive defeats and have narrow chances of reaching the final. Meanwhile, Syria will want a better performance and hope that the result of Tajikistan-DPR Korea game goes in their favour.
Igor Stimac has continued his squad experiments in this tournament too. The first-half brilliance against Tajikistan and a better second-half against DPR Korea showed what the manager can do with his solid plans. Having said that, conceding nine goals from two matches is a matter of concern. India have offered game time to most of their players in this tournament. Therefore, the hosts might return to their best XI, which can produce better results.
Facing a higher-ranked team like Syria, the Blue Tigers cannot afford to make the same mistakes from the previous games. The sloppy defence and slow-moving midfield will need an answer. A win will be crucial for the team in regaining confidence ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in October.
Syria have had a mixed tournament so far. They put up a brilliant performance against North Korea, scoring five goals after conceding one in the early minutes. Against Tajikistan, they started well but let in two goals in the second half. Midfield has not been at their best for Syria recently. They have often fumbled at their defensive duties, which was clear from the Tajik's first goal. The side managed by Fajir Ibrahim will look to find gaps between India's out of form backline. The visitors have a smoother path to the finals as they can grab the spot if Tajikistan defeats DPR Korea. In the other case, Syria will need a mandatory win with goal-difference playing a role.
India vs Syria: Match Information
Date: 16 July 2019
Kickoff: 8:00 PM IST
Live Stream: Star Sports Network and Hotstar
Venue: Transtadia Arena, Ahmedabad
India vs Syria: Team News
India
Sandesh Jhingan will be out of action with a hamstring injury while Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is expected to be back in the lineup after a below par performance from Amrinder Singh in the last match. The attack will be boosted by the likes of Udanta Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Anirudh Thapa.
Syria
Syria will certainly make changes to their lineup before the must-win match. They will look to add more depth in the defence and increase the pace in the midfield.
India vs Syria: Probable Lineups
India (4-2-3-1): Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Rahul Bheke, Sandesh Jhingan, Adil Khan, Jerry Lalrinzual, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Anirudh Thapa, Udanta Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sunil Chhetri
Syria (4-2-3-1): Ibrahim Alma, Amro Jeniat, Fares Arnaout, Abdullah Alshami, Abdul Razzak, Mohammad Almarmour, Tamer Mohamad, Firas Al-Khatib, Ahmad Al Ahmad, Mohammad Anz, Shadi Al Hamwi
India vs Syria: Form Guide
India: L-L-W-L-L
Syria: L-W-L-L-D
India vs Syria: Head-to-Head
India: 3
Syria: 2
Draw: 0
India vs Syria: Key Players
India
Anirudh Thapa will have a key role to play against Syria. The young midfielder has proven his ability to control the game at the centre of the park. India had lacked the same in the previous game and will want Thapa to play the role of a midfield general, winning possession and starting attacks. The 21-year-old has scored 2 goals for India and will be a livewire on the field for India.
Syria
Mohammad Almarmour has been Syria's vital presence in the midfield. The 24-year-old scored two goals against Korea DPR and was the mastermind behind the team's comeback win. He will be placed in the central midfield with an attacking mind and will be a threat at goal from distance. India's holding midfielders will have to cut out his space to look at the net from distance.
Predictions
India are coming from back-to-back defeats against lower-ranked teams. On the other hand, Syria suffered a shocking loss from Tajikistan. The superiority on paper and confidence from the opening fixture is sure to help the visitors. These factors offer Syria an upper-hand before the game begins.
Predicted Score - India 1:2 Syria
