India will face Uzbekistan in their second match of the Asian Cup on Thursday. After losing their first match 2-0 against Australia, the Blue Tigers are currently bottom of Group B. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan had to settle for a 0-0 draw with Syria.
Preview (India vs. Uzbekistan)
India was only able to hold out against the Socceroos for half an hour on Saturday. This squad has lost its last two games across all competitions by a total score of 5-0. This is their third straight Asian Cup without a goal in the score. If the Socceroos lose on Thursday and Syria wins or draws, they will be formally eliminated from this competition.
Manager Igor Stimac has stated that getting to the World Cup is the team’s main goal. Therefore an early exit might not bother him too much. His team is currently in second place in its 2026 qualifying group, only behind Kuwait on goal differential. They had only scored in one of their previous four group games in this competition. It was their lone win, coming from a 4-1 victory over Thailand in their opening game of 2019. India has lost all four of their prior attempts to win their second group match in this tournament. They have only scored in one of those games (a 5-2 loss to Bahrain in 2011).
Since 2021, when they lost 1-0 to Georgia after losing 3-0 to Jordan. Uzbekistan has not been held scoreless in back-to-back international matches. Over the past year, they have demonstrated a great deal of resiliency, as evidenced by their four consecutive victories despite conceding the first goal. In their sole Asian Cup matchup with India, Uzbekistan won 3-2 in 1999, overturning a 2-1 deficit with two goals in the last 13 minutes. The White Wolves have never lost to India in their previous six games.
Team News
On matchday one, Deepak Tangri made his debut for India as a senior player, starting alongside Lallianzuala Chhangte as a holding midfielder. Vikram Partap Singh also earned his maiden cap, substituting for Lallianzuala Chhangte late in the second half. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, the goalkeeper, has made 67 appearances for the Blue Tigers in his career. Should he play on Thursday, he can tie Subrata Pal and Mahesh Gawli for seventh place in all-time caps. Only seven appearances away from 100 for the national side, Indian record goalscorer and cap holder Sunil Chhetri is looking for his first of the 2023 competition after leading them with two goals in this tournament four years ago.
Diyor Kholmatov and Muhammadkodir Khamraliev, who both made their debuts on Christmas Day, have not played in the last two matches against Uzbekistan; Zafarmurod Abdurakhmatov is the only member of this team who has yet to receive an international cap. Odiljon Hamrobekov can reach the half-century mark for appearances on Thursday, while Lens defender Abdulkodir Khusanov is two caps away from reaching double digits. The captain, Aloliddin Masharipov, is three caps away from reaching sixty. With 18 goals scored with the national team, Igor Sergeyev needs two more goals to tie Igor Shkvyrin for seventh place all-time. Meanwhile, Utkir Yusupov recorded a clean sheet in his Asian Cup debut without having to make a single save.
India 0-2 Uzbekistan
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