India takes on Uzbekistan in their second group match of the Asian Cup in Al Rayyan on Thursday. After a tough performance against Australia, India is looking to assert themselves better in the upcoming match. Despite a 0-2 loss to Australia, India managed to hold off the Socceroos for the first 50 minutes. Defensive compactness will be key for India against Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is also looking to bounce back after a 0-0 draw against Syria.
India and Uzbekistan have faced each other eight times, with India winning only once. The most recent encounter was in 2001, where Uzbekistan won 2-1.
The match between India and Uzbekistan will take place on Thursday, January 18, 2024, at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan. The match begins at 8 PM IST and will be broadcast on Sports18 Network’s TV channels.
The Indian team aims to assert themselves better than they did in their opening game against Australia. Unfortunately, they lost to the title-contenders with a score of 0-2 on January 14. However, they managed to deny the Socceroos any success for the first 50 minutes of the game. Despite Australia’s attacking prowess, Sunil Chhetri’s men prevented a larger margin of defeat. The defensive compactness, particularly in the first half, will be a key aspect that the Indian team hopes to maintain against the Uzbeks. The Uzbekistan team, on the other hand, is slightly disappointed after their 0-0 draw against Syria in their opening match.
Chhetri emphasized that the Central Asian side, ranked 68th in the world compared to India’s 102nd ranking, would not pose as much of a threat as the Australians. This insight could provide a glimpse into India’s game-plan for the upcoming match.