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Lebanon held on for a draw in their second match of this edition of the Asian Cup against the Chinese team at the Al-Thumama Stadium in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The match ended 0-0.
Right from the start of the match, Lebanon took the ascendancy with strong possession. Khalil Khamis, who started as a regular in this second match, seized an early opportunity with a fine header in the 6th minute, unfortunately saved by the Chinese goalkeeper.
Nour Mansour’s injury in the 17th minute led to the introduction of Robert Melki, thus altering the composition of the team. Despite this, China found their rhythm from the 15th minute onward, exerting more pressure on the solid Lebanese defense, thanks in particular to the excellent performances of Maher Sabra and Khalil Khamis at the back.
Hassan Maatouk produced a superb shot from distance in the 26th minute, followed by a header from Omar Bugiel, both blocked by the Chinese keeper. Despite Lebanon’s dominance, the match took a physical turn with a robust tackle on Melki, leading to a yellow card for Chinese pivot Zhang Yin.
The last Lebanese attack, with a shot hitting the post, could have changed the score in the last second of the first half.
Tactical Change on the Lebanese Side
Lebanon started the match with a bold formation, lining up two pivots, five midfielders and three defenders, revealing a new, much more attacking style of play compared to the first match against Qatar, where coach Radolovic had opted for the classic 4-3-3 formation.
Omar Bugiel and Khalil Khamis both started against the “dragons.” Bugiel was expected to start after making a big difference offensively by replacing Hilal el-Helwe in the first match.
Moustafa Matar, The Heroic Keeper
Moustafa Matar continues to surprise the Lebanese. At the last edition of the Asian Cup in 2019 in the United Arab Emirates, he took on the role of substitute for Mehdi Khalil, who was injured at the time. During that tournament, Matar stood out for his outstanding performances. Today, he is the starting goalkeeper, while Mehdi Khalil is his replacement. Matar shone in this role in the last match, successfully saving seven crucial Chinese shots for the Lebanese team.
Everything in Qatar’s Hands
After the Lebanese team’s defeat in their first match against the competition’s hosts, Qatar, and their draw with China, Lebanon find themselves with just one point from a possible six.
For the Cedars to advance to the next round, Qatar must beat China and Tajikistan, while Lebanon must win their final group stage match against Tajikistan to finish with a place in the second round.
To qualify, Lebanon must finish at least second in their group. Otherwise, they will have to be the best third-ranked team in all the groups.
