Defending champions Qatar face Palestine in Round of 16 tomorrow

DOHA: Hosts and defending champion Qatar will take on Palestine in the Round of 16 clash at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor tomorrow.

The 2019 champions are one of two teams in the tournament who have yet to concede a single goal, alongside Thailand.

Qatar’s record since the previous edition has been impressive, having only conceded one goal in their last 10 AFC Asian Cup matches; a Takumi Minamino strike in the UAE 2019 final which the Qataris won 3-1.

“There are no easy games in football, especially in tournaments like this,” said Qatar head coach Marquez Lopez.

“We are happy with how we have played in the group stage. We were very competitive in every game, there are small changes to make and improve on, but overall, we played well and tried to give all players an opportunity to play.”

In their third appearance in the competition, Palestine were finally able to pick-up their first AFC Asian Cup win, an emphatic 3-0 victory over Hong Kong, China on the final matchday that helped them finish third in Group C and book their place in the knockout stage for the first time in their history.

Head coach Makram Daboub believes his side will play without pressure against a Qatar team weighed down by expectation from the home supporters.

“We are all united as team, we have a close relationship and that shows in the way we play on the pitch,” said Daboub. 

“We have been fully focused on qualifying and getting the first win in Palestine’s history in the Asian Cup, not thinking about whether we face Qatar or any other team. It was very important for us to be in the Round of 16, so we were prepared to face any team.”