United Arab Emirates U23 vs Iran U23 Asian Games Preview
Iran begin their campaign in the football event at the 2926 Asian Games with a Group B clash on Wednesday.
Both teams often adopt an open style of play, and given their defensive vulnerabilities, goals are expected here.
Key Stats
- United Arab Emirates U23 have scored in seven of their last eight matches in all competitions.
- United Arab Emirates U23 have conceded in nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
- Iran U23 have scored in five of their last nine matches in all competitions.
- Iran U23 have conceded in four of their last eight matches in all competitions.
- Both teams were on target in their previous meeting.
One Previous Meeting
The only previous meeting between both teams was an Asian U23 Cup qualifier back in 2025, with United Arab Emirates picking up a 3-2 victory.
United Arab Emirates Targeting a Solid Start
United Arab Emirates eased to a 5-2 friendly victory over Thailand in their previous fixture back in June. Mohammed Sulaiman and Jonas Naafo each scored a brace while Nahyan Mamari was also on target.
The result maintains United Arab Emirates’ good form as they are unbeaten in five of their last six matches in all competitions. Among their results for Igor Biscan’s team in this run is a 3-1 victory over Oman.
As evidenced by the win over Thailand, United Arab Emirates are usually solid going forward and have scored in seven of their last eight matches in all competitions. However, their open style often leaves them exposed at the back, and they have failed to keep a clean sheet in nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Iran Seeking Consistency
Iran have been out of action since January when they played in the AFC Asian U23 Cup. They failed to win any of their group stage matches and suffered a 1-0 defeat to Lebanon in their final fixture.
Team Melli Omid’s campaign at that tournament highlights their erratic showings in recent times. They have picked up just four wins and played out two draws in their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Like their rivals, Iran often show some attacking quality and have scored in five of their last nine matches in all competitions. However, Hossein Abdi’s team have failed to keep a clean sheet in four of their last eight matches in all competitions.
Team News & Predicted Line-ups
United Arab Emirates (4-2-3-1): Marzooq Rashed; Mubarak Zamah, Khamis Al-Mansoori, Yousif Al-Marzooqi, Solomon Sosu; Mohammed Khalil, Ali Abdulaziz; Jonas Naafo, Mohammed Sulaiman, Hazem Mohammad; Eisa Khalfan.
Naafo and Sulaiman have caught the eye for United Arab Emirates lately, and both men should feature in this one. Khalfan is expected to lead the line while Al-Mansoori is set to start in defence.
Iran U23 (4-3-3): Mohammad Khalifeh; Farzin Moamelegari, Amin Hazbavi, Masoud Mohebi, Soheil Sahraei; Ghasem Latifi, Pouria Latififar, Esmaeil Gholizadeh; Yousef Mazraeh, Reza Ghandipour, Pouria Shahrabadi.