Veterans from each side will maintain the important thing in what may very well be a fast-paced, box-to-box match.
Who: Wales vs Iran, Group B
The place: Ahmed bin Ali Stadium
When: Friday, November 25, at 1pm (10:00 GMT)
FIFA rating: Wales (19), Iran (20)
Main into the World Cup, Wales suffered a run of poor kind within the UEFA Nations League. But that got here proper after their dramatic World Cup qualifying marketing campaign, throughout which they misplaced just one match in 10 – and that was to Belgium, who're among the many favourites to raise the trophy in Doha on December 18.
So what does that inform us? When on kind and with out harm, the Welsh veteran trio of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen could make life very troublesome for opposing groups.
However that's no small caveat. Allen continues to slog on in Swansea – the place he injured his hamstring lower than a month in the past. In the meantime, Ramsey, who picked up a hamstring harm in September, and Bale, who additionally had a current leg harm, have traded within the rugged mountains and valleys of Wales for the hotter climes of Good and Los Angeles – the place they each wrestle to get sport time.
The Welsh reliance on its skilled stars was on present within the group’s opening sport of the World Cup, the place a late Bates penalty ensured they bought some extent by a draw in opposition to the USA.
Iran, in the meantime, wish to make a spherical of 16 look for the primary time at a World Cup. And this sport is vital to these hopes after Group Melli – as they're recognized – had been trounced 6-2 by England of their opening sport of the World Cup.
Like Wales, they'll rely upon an skilled hand – or somewhat, foot. Because the 2020-21 season, Mehdi Taremi has been the highest scorer in Portugal’s soccer league, with 42 targets. The 30-year-old, who scored each of Iran’s targets in opposition to England earlier this week, has 18 months of expertise taking part in in Qatar.
Taremi can be main Iran’s entrance line, together with Alireza Jahanbakhsh of Feyenoord Rotterdam and Sardar Azmoun from Bayer Leverkusen. Azmoun was injured whereas taking part in for Leverkusen in early October, however is match to play in Qatar.
Within the two video games since Iran’s Coach Carlos Queiroz has been reinstated, the group have performed a 4-1-4-1 defensive formation with a floating participant forward of the defenders, permitting the midfield to press additional up the pitch. In assault, they've switched to 4-3-3.
This flexibility in formation and counterattack give Group Melli the same fashion of play to the Dragons – the nom de guerre of the Welsh facet. Anticipate quick breaks alongside the wings from each groups. These usually are not groups eager about possession for its personal sake. Don’t expect a lot tiki-taka on this sport. Do expect pacy, box-to-box motion.
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