Saudi Arabia vs Qatar Predictions
Saudi Arabia face Qatar on Saturday with a place in the Gulf Cup final up for grabs.
The hosts won all three group games without conceding, and another hard-fought victory is expected this weekend.
A home win with under 3.5 goals is my preferred pick in Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia Can Edge Gulf Cup Semifinal
- Saudi Arabia won their last 3 matches
- Saudi Arabia have seen under 3.5 goals in 9 of their last 10 matches
- Qatar have seen under 3.5 goals in 12 of their last 14 matches
- Qatar lost 6 of their last 12 matches
Qatar Lead Recent H2H Record
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have met on seven occasions since 2010. Qatar won three of those games while the Saudis secured victory in their most recent contest seven years ago.
Abdullah Al-Hamdan scored the only goal as the Saudis claimed a 1-0 win in the Gulf Cup.
Saudi Arabia Maintain Solid Form
Saudi Arabia head into Saturday's semifinal with confidence rising after a 2-0 victory against Iraq on Tuesday.
Abdullah Al-Salem put Georgios Donis's side ahead early in the second half before Abdullah Al-Hamdan added a second to secure top spot in Group A.
The Saudis deserved their victory in Jeddah. The Gulf Cup hosts registered 12 shots to Iraq's five and finished with a higher xG total (1.55 - 0.30).
Tuesday's success followed a 1-0 win against Kuwait and a convincing 3-0 victory against Oman in their two previous Group A fixtures. Saudi Arabia finished top of the section, five clear of Oman and Iraq.
The Green Falcons had failed to win eight of nine previous fixtures before their improved form at the Gulf Cup.
A strong defence has been the foundation for the Saudi’s improved form. Donis’s men kept clean sheets in six of their last eight games.
Qatar Set for Tough Semifinal
Qatar come into Saturday’s Gulf Cup semifinal after a 1-1 draw against the UAE secured second place in Group B.
Almoez Ali put Julen Lopetegui's side ahead in the first half before Ali Saleh levelled for the Emiratis before the interval.
Qatar were somewhat fortunate to emerge with a point from a tough contest in Jeddah. They managed only four shots to the UAE's 12 and finished with a significantly lower xG total (0.55-1.47).
The Maroon One had already secured their semifinal place with a 2-0 victory against Bahrain and a narrow 1-0 win over Yemen.
Lopetegui's men are unbeaten at this tournament, while all three of their matches have finished with fewer than four goals.
Before their improved Gulf Cup form, Qatar had failed to win 14 of 15 previous internationals over the past 15 months.
Saudi Arabia vs Qatar Squads & Team News
Saudi Arabia Squad
Goalkeepers: Mohammed Al-Owais, Hamed Al-Shanqiti
Defenders: Hassan Al-Tambakti, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Nawaf Boushal, Moteb Al-Harbi, Jehad Thakri, Rayan Hamed, Zakaria Hawsawi, Mohammed Mahzari
Midfielders: Mohamed Kanno, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Mukhtar Ali, Ziyad Al-Johani, Mohammed Al-Qahtani
Forwards: Firas Al-Buraikan, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, Sultan Mandash, Abdullah Al-Salem, Hammam Al-Hammami
Donis could stick with much of the side that beat Iraq earlier this week. The Greek boss is unable to call on Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Alaa Al-Hejji and Hassan Kadesh, who have left the Saudi camp through injury.
Donis acknowledged the challenge posed by Qatar ahead of the knockout clash:
“Tomorrow’s match differs from the group stage encounters because it is a knockout format. We face a strong team with great experience, and we aim to deliver a distinguished performance and achieve victory.”
Qatar Squad
Goalkeepers: Salah Zakaria, Shehab Ellethy, Mahmoud Abu Nada
Defenders: Ayoub Al Alawi, Issa Laye, Tarek Salman, Homam Al Amin, Boualem Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel, Sultan Al Brake
Midfielders: Abdulaziz Hatem, Ahmed Fathy, Naif Al Hadhrami, Jassem Gaber, Karim Boudiaf, Assim Madibo, Mohammed Manaei
Forwards: Ahmed Alaa, Edmilson Junior, Akram Afif, Hassan Al Haydos, Yusuf Abdurisag, Hashim Ali, Ahmed Al Ganehi, Almoez Ali, Tahseen Mohammed
Qatar boss Julen Lopetegui is likely to restore several players who started last week’s win against Yemen.
The Spaniard made six changes to his starting XI for the final group fixture against the UAE.
Speaking to the media this week, Lopetegui explained his decision to rotate:“We competed well against the UAE. I made several changes to the starting line-up because this was our third match in six days, but the team fought until the final minutes. We were not fortunate in front of goal, and now we need to rest, recover and prepare for the next match.”
Issa Laye remains an injury issue after missing the UAE draw.