India, the perennial underdogs in the global stage, have surprised everyone with their spirited performances in their first two matches at 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
India started the campaign on a rousing note, thrashing Thailand 4-1, but lost the second match 0-2 to the hosts despite creating so many chances.
Now, Sunil Chhetri & Co will play probably the most important game of their lives when they take on Bahrain in the final group match. And it will decide India's fate in the tournament.
Here's all you need to know about the match:
Match: India vs Bahrain, Group A match
Date: January 14 (Monday)
Time: 9:30 PM IST; 8:00 PM Local
Venue: Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah
TV Guide: Star Sports Network and Doordarshan in India; beIN Sports in Arab League; beIN MAX 1 and beIN MAX 2 in UAE; Channel 7 in Thailand
Live Streaming: Hotstar and JioTV in India
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Match referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
FIFA Rankings
India: 96th
Bahrain: 116th
Best Finishes
India: Runners-up in 1964
Bahrain: Fourth place in 2004
Head-to-head
India have won just one match against Bahrain in seven matches played so far between the two countries. That win (2-0) had come in an international friendly in Bahrain in October 1979 with striker Shabir Ali scoring both the goals. Bahrain have won on five occasions while one match had ended in a draw.
Prediction
India 2-2 Bahrain
Likely XIs
India (4-4-1-1): Gurpreet Singh Sandhu; Subhasish Bose, Anas Edathodika, Sandesh Jhingan, Pritam Kotal; Halicharan Narzary, Pronay Halder, Anirudh Thapa, Udanta Kumam; Sunil Chhetri; Ashique Kuruniyan
Key players: Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua
Coach: Stephen Constantine (England)
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Bahrain (4-2-3-1): Sayed Shubbar Alawi; Ahmed Juma, Waleed Al Hayam, Hamad Al-Shamsan, Sayed Redha Issa; Sayed Dhiya Saeed, Komail Al Aswad; Abdulwahab Al Safi, Ali Madan, Jamal Rasheed; Mohamed Al Romaihi
Key players: Abdulla Yusuf Helal, Ali Madan
Coach: Miroslav Soukup (Czech Republic)
Squads
India: GK - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (JSW Bengaluru FC), Vishal Kaith (FC Pune City), Amrinder Singh (Mumbai City FC); DF - Ranjan Salam (East Bengal), Subhasish Bose (Mumbai City FC), Sarthak Golui (FC Pune City), Sandesh Jhingan (Kerala Blasters), Pritam Kotal (Delhi Dynamos), Narayan Das (Delhi Dynamos), Anas Edathodika (Kerala Blasters); MF - Germanpreet Singh (Chennaiyin FC), Anirudh Thapa (Chennaiyin FC), Vinit Rai (Delhi Dynamos), Muhammed Ashique Kuruniyan (FC Pune City), Pronay Halder (ATK), Udanta Kumam (JSW Bengaluru FC), Rowllin Borgers (NorthEast United), Jackichand Telem (FC Goa), Halicharan Narzary (Kerala Blasters); FW - Forwards: Sumeet Passi (Jamshedpur FC), Balwant Singh (ATK), Sunil Chhetri (JSW Bengaluru FC), Jeje Lalpekhlua (Chennaiyin FC)
Baharain: GK - Sayed Shubbar Alawi (Najma), Yusuf Habib Hasan (Malkiyah), Abdulkarim Fardan Abdulkarim (Riffa); DF - Sayed Mahdi Baqer (Nasr), Waleed Mohamed Alhayam (Muharraq), Hamad Mahmood Alshamsan (Riffa), Ahmed Merza Moosa (Hidd), Ahmed Ali Juma (Muharraq), Sayed Redha Isa (Riffa), Ahmed Mubarak Bughammar (Hidd), Ahmed Abdulla Ali (Najma); MF - Sayed Dhiya Saeed (Nasr), Abdulwahab Ali Alsafi (Muharraq), Mohamed Jasim Marhoon (Riffa), Ali Jaafar Madan (Najma), Ali Abdula Haram (Riffa), Jasim Ahmed Alshaikh (Ahli), Komail Hasan Alaswad (Riffa), Jamal Rashed Abdulrahman (Muharraq); FW - Mahdi Faisal Alhumaidan (Ahli), Abdulla Yusuf Helal (Bohemians 1905), Mohamed Saad Alromaihi (Manama), Sami Mohamed Alhusaini (East Riffa)
