Bahrain vs United Arab Emirates Predictions
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates face off on Sunday in their second Gulf Cup Group B fixture.
The defending champions slipped to defeat against Qatar, while the United Arab Emirates swept Yemen aside in a one-sided victory.
With form on their side, I expect the UAE to win with over 1.5 goals scored.
Bahrain in Poor Form
- Bahrain lost 7 of their last 9 matches
- Bahrain conceded an average of 2.5 goals per game in their last 5 matches
- United Arab Emirates won 2 of their last 3 matches against Bahrain
- United Arab Emirates won 2 of their last 4 matches
- United Arab Emirates scored an average of 1.6 goals per game in their last 5 matches
United Arab Emirates Edge Recent H2H Record
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have met five times since 2020. The United Arab Emirates won three of those games, while Bahrain picked up one victory.
The United Arab Emirates claimed a 1-0 friendly success when these nations last met in September 2025.
Bahrain Look For Response after Qatar Defeat
Bahrain come into Sunday’s Gulf Cup Group B contest after a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Qatar at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium on Thursday.
Boualem Khoukhi headed Qatar in front in the 61st minute before Hassan Al Haydos converted a stoppage-time penalty to secure the points.
Despite Ahmed Fathi’s 70th-minute red card, the Qataris held on for a deserved victory.
Qatar controlled the contest and emerged as deserving winners. Julen Lopetegui’s side registered more shots (12-7) and finished with a significantly higher xG total (2.32-0.42).
The defending Gulf Cup champions have endured a miserable run of form in the past 18 months. Bahrain lost 12 and won just two of 15 internationals played in that period.
Defensively fragile, Dragan Talajic’s side conceded at least twice in each of their last five games and kept just one clean sheet in 16 fixtures.
United Arab Emirates Make Emphatic Start under Dalic
The United Arab Emirates return to Gulf Cup action with plenty of confidence after a commanding 4-0 win against Yemen on Thursday.
Nicolas Gimenez opened the scoring before Nader Sahal’s own goal, and Luan Pereira’s strike gave the UAE a 3-0 half-time lead.
Gimenez again struck seven minutes after the restart as the United Arab Emirates completed a comfortable victory in Zlatko Dalic's first competitive match in charge.
The experienced Croatian guided Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final and a third-place finish, four years later.
The UAE proved clinical in front of goal, and resolute at the back. The Sons of Zayed scored four from an xG of just 1.22 while they restricted Yemen to just two shots.
Set for only their second fixture of the year, Dalic’s side had not played since their Arab Cup elimination in December of last year.
Bahrain vs United Arab Emirates Squads & Team News
Bahrain Squad
Goalkeepers: Ebrahim Lutfalla, Omar Salem, Mohamed El Garably
Defenders: Waleed Al Hayam, Sayed Baqer, Amine Benaddi, Hamad Al-Shamsan, Abdulla Al-Khulasi, Vincent Emmanuel, Ahmed Rabea
Midfielders: Sayed Dhiya Saeed, Kamil Al-Aswad, Ali Madan, Mohamed Marhoon, Mahdi Al-Humaidan, Jasim Al-Shaikh, Ebrahim Al-Khattal, Abbas Al-Asfoor, Omar Saber, Hasan Al-Karrani, Mohammed Abdulqayoom, Ali Al-Doseri
Forwards: Mohamed Al-Romaihi, Mahdi Abduljabbar, Hashim Sayed Isa, Husain Abdulkarim
Bahrain boss Talajic has at least one absentee on Sunday. Abbas Al Asfoor is suspended after his late red card against Qatar.
Vincent Emmanuel could come into the first XI after a 45-minute substitute appearance earlier this week.
Talajic remained optimistic about his sides’ chances of overcoming the UAE challenge.:
"I congratulate all the teams that achieved success in the first round. This is a difficult tournament, and everyone has a chance to qualify. I trust the players, and we will do a good job tomorrow, God willing.
“The team we will face played a very strong previous match, and they have players of a high level."
United Arab Emirates Squad
Goalkeepers: Khalid Eisa, Hamad Al-Meqbaali, Fahad Al-Dhanhani
Defenders: Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khaled Ibrahim, Marcus Meloni, Lucas Pimenta, Zayed Sultan, Ruben Canedo, Sasa Ivkovic, Ala Zhir, Erik
Midfielders: Harib Abdalla, Fabio Lima, Isam Faiz, Abdulla Hamad, Nicolas Gimenez, Luanzinho, Mamadou Coulibaly
Forwards: Ali Saleh, Sultan Adil, Bruno, Richard Akonnor, Guilherme Bala, Ousmane Camara, Yuri Cesar
Head coach Dalic is likely to stick with the same XI that eased past Yemen earlier this week.
Nicolas Gimenez will operate as the number ten after his impressive two-goal salvo last time out.
The UAE have no reported injury issues.
Dalic offered words of praise for Bahrain ahead of this weekend’s Gulf Cup clash.
"We will play against a strong opponent, and we know what we have to do, and we will give our best to achieve the win," he said.
"The Bahrain national team has great experience and a great coach."