Saudi Arabia vs UAE Predictions
Saudi Arabia and the UAE meet at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Tuesday for the Gulf Cup title.
Both nations are unbeaten in the competition, and while Saudi Arabia have home advantage, the UAE can make this a competitive contest.
I expect UAE to avoid defeat, with a 90-minute draw on the cards in Jeddah.
UAE Can Avoid Defeat in Final
- Saudi Arabia failed to win 10 of their last 14 matches
- Saudi Arabia drew 4 of their last 8 matches
- Saudi Arabia drew 3 of their last 6 matches against UAE
- UAE are unbeaten in 5 of their last 6 matches against Saudi Arabia
- UAE are unbeaten in their last 10 matches
- UAE drew 4 of their last 9 matches
Saudi Arabia Hold H2H Edge
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have met in 14 fixtures since 2005. The Saudis won seven of those games while the UAE claimed two victories, including two of their last three encounters.
Saudi Arabia Survive Qatar Shootout
Saudi Arabia secured their place in Tuesday's Gulf Cup final after edging past Qatar on penalties following a goalless semi-final in Jeddah on Saturday.
Georgios Donis's side held their nerve to claim a 3-2 shootout win at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
The Saudis deserved their victory but struggled to create clear-cut chances in normal time. The Green Falcons registered 21 shots, but an xG of just 0.83 underlined the lack of quality in their opportunities.
Qatar offered little going forward, although substitute Edmilson came closest to scoring when he struck the crossbar in the second half.
The Green Falcons had looked more convincing in the group stage. They began the competition with a narrow 1-0 win over Kuwait before a 3-0 victory against Oman. A 2-0 success against Iraq secured their place in the final four.
Before those victories, the Saudis had failed to win nine of ten previous international fixtures.
The hosts are bidding for their first Gulf Cup since 2004. The Green Falcons lost each of four previous final appearances in this competition.
UAE Hold Firm to Reach Final
The UAE booked their place in the Gulf Cup final with a 1-0 victory against Oman at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City on Saturday.
Ousmane Camara’s 22nd-minute header proved the difference in a low-key contest played in front of just 2000 fans at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium.
Nicolas Gimenez had a chance to extend the lead, but Oman goalkeeper Ibrahim Al-Mukhaini saved his spot kick.
Despite that miss, Zlatko Dalic's side secured their first Gulf Cup final appearance since 2018.
The UAE were good value for their victory, restricting Oman to just three attempts and an xG of 0.33.
The Whites made an excellent start to the competition, easing past Yemen 4-0 before an impressive 3-0 win against Gulf Cup holders Bahrain. A 1-1 draw with Qatar secured top spot in Group B on goal difference.
A much-improved side under the former Croatia boss, the UAE are unbeaten in 17 of 20 games played in the past 18 months.
Bidding for their third Gulf Cup title, the Sons of Zayed last lifted the trophy in 2013.
Saudi Arabia vs UAE Squads & Team News
Saudi Arabia Squad
Goalkeepers: Mohammed Al-Owais, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Hamed Al-Shanqiti
Defenders: Abdulelah Al-Amri, Jehad Thakri, Rayan Hamed, Hassan Al-Tambakti, Hassan Kadesh, Nawaf Boushal, Mohammed Mahzari, Moteb Al-Harbi, Zakaria Hawsawi
Midfielders: Musab Al-Juwayr, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Mohamed Kanno, Ziyad Al-Johani, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Alaa Al-Hejji
Forwards: Sultan Mandash, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, Hammam Al-Hammami, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Firas Al-Buraikan, Abdullah Al-Salem
Head coach Donis has some injury issues this week. Nawaf Al-Aqid, Hassan Kadesh and Alaa Al-Hejji are expected to remain sidelined while Zakaria Hawsawi faces a late fitness test.
Donis praised his players' fighting spirit after the hard-earned victory over Qatar.
“I congratulate the players on their high-level performance and fighting spirit. They gave everything they had in a difficult match against an experienced opponent that defended very well,” Donis said at the post-match press conference.
“The tournament is short, and fatigue has an impact. We deserved to win after our strong performance. We had problems with player fatigue during the match, but I am happy with what happened. “
“The players will put on a strong final, and that is what we expect from them,” he added.
UAE Squad
Goalkeepers: Mohammed Al-Owais, Abdulquddus Atiah, Hamed Al-Shanqiti.
Defenders: Hassan Al-Tambakti, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Nawaf Boushal, Hassan Kadesh, Moteb Al-Harbi, Jehad Thakri, Rayan Hamed, Mohammed Mahzari, Zakaria Hawsawi.
Midfielders: Mohamed Kanno, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Mukhtar Ali, Ziyad Al-Johani, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Alaa Al-Hejji.
Forwards: Firas Al-Buraikan, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, Sultan Mandash, Abdullah Al-Salem, Hammam Al-Hammami.
Dalic could keep much of the same side that started against Oman.
Ali Saleh, Sultan Adil and Richard Akonnor are among those hoping to earn recalls.
"I want the players to enjoy themselves and play in the best way, because it is the last match of the Gulf Cup, and it carries a special character, and I hope we put on an enjoyable match for the fans,"
"We will face Saudi Arabia, the best team in the tournament. They have a clean sheet, and they have the advantage of home ground and stadium, and this is a difficult challenge for us, but we are ready, and our goal is the title."