Qatar vs Bahrain Predictions
Qatar and Bahrain meet at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah in their opening Gulf Cup Group B fixture.
Both nations are among the favourites this summer, and a competitive contest should see chances at both ends.
BTTS is my best bet, while a draw also offers plenty of appeal.
Low-Score Draw Likely
- Qatar have seen BTTS in their last 6 matches (Gulf Cup)
- Qatar have drawn 3 of their last 7 matches
- Qatar have seen BTTS in 4 of their last 5 matches against Bahrain
- Bahrain have drawn 4 of their last 7 matches against Qatar
- Bahrain have seen BTTS in 3 of their last 4 matches
Bahrain in Control of H2H Record Against Qatar
Qatar and Bahrain have met on 14 occasions since 2008. Bahrain secured five wins, while Qatar triumphed just once. Eight games finished level, including a 2-2 draw in their most recent encounter last year.
Qatar Look to Respond to World Cup Setback
Qatar return to action for the first time since a disappointing group-stage exit at the FIFA World Cup. After a promising 1-1 draw with Switzerland, they suffered a disastrous 6-0 defeat against hosts Canada before losing 3-1 to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Maroons showed some attacking threat, but defensive frailties proved costly as they failed to secure their first-ever World Cup win.
As a consequence of those defensive deficiencies, Qatar failed to keep a clean sheet in all but two of their last 15 international fixtures.
Julen Lopetegui’s out-of-form side have now failed to win any of their last nine international fixtures. Qatar won just one of 15 matches since July 2025.
The Maroons will be looking to improve on a poor performance in their last Gulf Cup appearance in 2025. Qatar failed to win any of their three group phase fixtures, finishing bottom of the section with only two points.
Three-time winners of this competition, the West Asian nation last lifted the trophy in 2014.
Bahrain Aim to Defend Gulf Cup Crown
Gulf Cup holders Bahrain travel to Jeddah after a 2-0 defeat against Georgia in their most recent international three months ago.
Luka Lochoshvili opened the scoring before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia converted a penalty to secure a friendly victory for the Georgians.
Dragan Talajic’s side had not played since a first-round exit at the Arab Cup in December 2025.
Grouped together in a tough section with World Cup qualifiers Algeria and Iraq, the Red finished third in the section. Despite a fine 3-1 win against Sudan in their final Group D fixture, a 2-1 defeat against Iraq and a 5-1 reversal against Algeria ended their hopes of qualification.
The reigning Gulf Cup champions will be looking to recapture the form that earned them a second title since 2019. Bahrain won four of their five matches at the last tournament, including an impressive 2-1 comeback victory over Oman in the final.
The Red also secured a famous 3-2 win against Saudi Arabia in their opening fixture at that competition.
Bahrain's recent record against Qatar also offers encouragement. The Red are unbeaten in 13 of 14 encounters this century.
Qatar vs Bahrain Squads & Team News
Qatar Squad
Goalkeepers: Mahmud Abunada, Salah Zakaria, Meshaal Barsham
Defenders: Pedro Miguel, Tarek Salman, Issa Laye, Jassem Gaber, Ayoub Al-Oui, Homam Ahmed, Boualem Khoukhi, Sultan Al-Brake
Midfielders: Abdulaziz Hatem, Karim Boudiaf, Mohamed Manai, Ahmed Fathy, Assim Madibo, Naif Al-Hadhrami
Forwards: Ahmed Alaaeldin, Edmilson Junior, Ahmed Al-Ganehi, Hassan Al-Haydos, Akram Afif, Yusuf Abdurisag, Almoez Ali, Tahsin Jamshid, Hashim Ali
Head coach Lopetegui has an experienced 26-man squad available for Thursday’s Group B clash. Seven members of the selection boast over 100 appearances for the Maroon.
Veteran captain Hassan Al-Haydos is likely to win his 189th cap this week.
Mohammed Muntari is one of three players from Qatar’s World Cup squad left out of the Gulf Cup selection.
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 a similarly experienced 26-man selection available. The Croat head coach can call on nine players with at least 50 caps for the Red.
Mohamed Marhoon is the only player included in the selection to play outside of the Bahraini Premier League.