China U23 vs United Arab Emirates U23 Asian Games Preview
A place in the knockout stage is the prize as China face United Arab Emirates in their final Group B match in the football event at the 2026 Asian Games.
The Chinese are unbeaten in the competition and should have the edge over their rivals, who are without a win.
Key Stats
- China U23 are unbeaten in their two Group B matches.
- China U23 have won five of their last six matches in all competitions.
- United Arab Emirates U23 are winless in their two Group B matches.
- United Arab Emirates U23 are winless in seven of their last nine matches in all competitions.
Evenly Matched Rivals
China and United Arab Emirates have picked up two wins each in the last four matches at this level. The most recent meeting was an Asian U23 Cup clash back in 2024, which ended 2-1 in favour of the Chinese.
China Still Unbeaten
China come into this clash off the back of a 0-0 draw with Iran in their previous fixture. They were under pressure for much of the contest but put up a solid defensive showing to keep out the Iranians.
The result means China are unbeaten in the competition, having kicked off their campaign with a 2-1 victory over North Korea. Antonio Puche's team are currently second in the table and can qualify for the knockout stage with a win if they avoid defeat on Wednesday.
China's showings at the Asian Games are an extension of their form from prior to the tournament. They have won five of their last six matches in all competitions.
United Arab Emirates Seeking First Win
United Arab Emirates are also coming off a draw as they were held 0-0 by North Korea in their previous fixture. They had more possession and created multiple scoring opportunities but were wasteful in front of goal.
The result means United Arab Emirates are still without a win in the tournament, having suffered a 3-1 defeat to Iran in their opening fixture. They are currently bottom of the group but can still progress to the knockout stage if results go their way on Wednesday.
The problem for United Arab Emirates is that their performance at the Asian Games is a reflection of their overall form. They are winless in seven of their last nine matches in all competitions.
Team News & Predicted Line-ups
China (4-4-2): Li Hao; He Yiran, Liu Haofan, Hetao Hu, Chenjie Zhu; Iminqari Mutallep, Wu Xi, Bin Xu, Alex Yang; Wang Yudong, Zhang Yuning.
China come into this clash with no injuries or suspensions and are likely to stick with much of the team that started against Iran. Zhang Yuning and Wang Yudong should continue their partnership in attack while Hetao Hu is set to feature at the heart of the defence.
United Arab Emirates (5-3-2): Khaled Tawhid; Yousif Al-Marzouqi, Mansoor Salehi, Mubarak Ahmed, Solomon Sosu, Mackenzie Hunt; Yahya Alghassani, Ahmed Al-Shammari, Mahmoud Badr; Junior Ndiaye, Mansoor Al-Menhali.
United Arab Emirates will be without defender Khamis Al-Mansoori, who is suspended following a red card last time out. Mansoor Saleh is likely to be given the nod at the back while Junior Ndiaye is expected to feature in attack once again.