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China PR and Tajikistan will kickstart their Asian Cup campaign when they square off at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on Saturday.
China secured their spot in the competition as the original hosts and also finished as runners-up in Group A in the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Tajikistan qualified as Group F winners in the third round of the World Cup qualifiers. The Crowns are coming into the tournament on the back of a 2-1 victory over Hong Kong in their final warm-up friendly last week. Rustam Soirov and Shakhrom Samiev scored either side of Everton Camargo to help their side claim the win.
China, meanwhile, fell to a 2-1 defeat to Hong Kong on New Year's Day. They took the lead through Long Tan's ninth-minute strike but Pui-Hin Poon scored a brace to complete the comeback.
The Chinese are making their 13th appearance in the Asian Cup while Tajikistan are making their debut in the tournament. They have been grouped in Group A alongside hosts Qatar and Lebanon.
China PR vs Tajikistan Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two sides have clashed on five occasions in the past. China have four wins to their name while one game ended in a draw.
- Their most recent clash came in June 2019 when China claimed a 1-0 victory in a friendly.
- Four of the five head-to-head games saw one side fail to find the back of the net.
- Four of the China's last five games have produced three goals or more.
- Tajikistan are currently on a five-game unbeaten streak (four wins).
China PR vs Tajikistan Prediction
China are one of the most consistent sides in the Asian Cup but are yet to win the tournament. Their best performance came as runners-up on two occasions and the odds are against them bettering that this time around.
Tajikistan are the only debutants in the competition this year but have received a relatively favorable draw. Petar Segrt's side are also coming into the tournament in good form and will fancy their chances of qualification to the knockout round.
Although one side could nick a win here, we are backing the two sides to cancel each other out in a goalless stalemate.
Prediction: China PR 0-0 Tajikistan
China PR vs Tajikistan Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Both teams to score: No
Tip 3 - Under 2.5 goals
