Qatar is the home nation of the 2024 AFC Asian Cup, and its national team has been great since the start of the tournament. The bad news for the Maroons is that they’re playing in-form Iran in the semifinal. As per betting odds, Iran is more likely to win and get to the final.
Iran vs. Qatar Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Iran | -137 |
| Draw | +240 |
| Qatar | +450 |
| Points Total | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 2.5 | +133 |
| Under 2.5 | -167 |
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar
- Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2024
- Time: 10:00 AM ET
- How to Watch: Paramount+
Reasons Why Iran is Favorite in Asian Cup Semifinal
Iran has been brilliant since coming to Qatar, winning every single match so far. This team’s toughest game so far was in the previous stage of the tournament, in which they played Japan. Iran was a +370 before that match, but these guys managed to grab a win.
The final score was 2-1 even though Japan had a 1-0 lead at halftime. Iran’s wingers Mohammad Mohebi and Alireza Jahanbakhsh scored a goal each, prolonging their brilliant run in the Asian Cup. Apart from these guys, Iran’s defenders have also been great throughout the tournament.
Still, to be completely honest, Iran hasn’t played against too many attacking-minded teams. That will change in the semifinal when they face Tintin Marquez’s men.
Can Qatar Unleash Its Offensive Potential
Same as Iran, Qatar too has been playing offensive-minded soccer since the start of the Asian Cup. They have won every single match so far, but each of their opponents was a team way weaker than their next opponent.
In the quarterfinal, they played against Uzbekistan, in which Qatar won after penalties. In the regular time, it was 1-1, with Qatar’s only goal actually being an own goal by one of Uzbekistan’s players.
Qatar’s roster doesn’t have too many stars, but these guys work well as a collective. They work hard on the pitch, almost always creating a decent number of chances to score. This time, you can be 100% certain that they’re going to go all-in. The reason is that they’re playing on their turf, where the crowd is going to be on their side.
Iran vs. Qatar Prediction
Qatar is the defending champion of the Asian Cup, but we just can’t see them beating Iran. The player quality is on the side of Qatar’s opponent, but we do think this is going to be a real battle. Iran is likely to struggle to beat fired-up Qatar and we wouldn’t be surprised if they did it after the end of the 90 minutes of regular time.