Asian Cup final: Japan vs Qatar odds, schedule, preview, predictions, TV channel, kick-off time
- Qataris face record winners in their first final but are yet to concede a goal at 2019 tournament
- Japan remain hot favourites to lift a fifth title in the United Arab Emirates
Whoever lifts the trophy will make history and not just because they will be the first to win the new larger cup made for this expanded edition of the tournament.
Qatar can win their first Asian Cup, while Japan would put distance between themselves and Saudi Arabia and Iran on three titles each by winning a fifth.
Japan are the favourites with the oddsmakers. They are priced at $1.50 to win the cup outright and $2.10 to win the game.
Qatar are offered at $3.80 to lift the crown and $4.75 to win the game.
A draw in 90 minutes is priced at $3.16 and we will go to extra-time and penalties if that comes to pass.
Qatar have been the team of the tournament. They have scored 16 and are yet to concede. Young striker Almoez Ali has half of his team’s goals, matching Ali Daei’s tournament record from 1996, and grabbed another in their 4-0 demolition of hosts UAE in the semi-final.
That game was marked by the hostile home crowd, with shoes raining down on the Qataris every time they celebrated a goal and a red card for violent conduct for UAE’s Ismail Ahmed.
The hosts had bought all the tickets for the game to give them away to UAE fans and it remains to be seen who will make up the crowd for Friday’s final.
Capacity at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City Stadium is 43,000 but there were no more than 50 Qatar fans in the stands for the semi against UAE across town at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
If locals do go they will certainly be cheering on Japan.
In some ways it is better that the Qataris have to play an East Asian side in the final rather than one of the Gulf nations that continues to blockade them but they could be forgiven for thinking they have already won after beating Saudi Arabia and UAE on their journey to meet pre-tournament favourites Japan.
The four-time winners have impressed in fits and starts in the UAE but they passed their toughest test in some style, beating Iran 3-0 in their semi-final.
Japan pounced on defensive errors and Qatar will need to make sure they don’t help their opponents in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
It’s an interesting prospect in store. Qatar’s young strike force of Ali and winger Akram Afif against Japan veteran Maya Yoshida at one end, and Yuya Osako giving the Qatari defence their first real test at the other end.
How young centre backs Tarek Salman and Bassam Al-Rawi cope with that challenge could be key, while Japan’s Ritsu Doan could add to his growing reputation with another match-winning performance in the final.
Neutrals will hope that there as many goals as when the teams last met at the Asian Cup eight years ago. Japan won that quarter-final in Qatar 3-2, and went on to win the tournament.
Can the team that have never lost an Asian Cup final repeat the feat on Friday?
Head-to-head
Fifa ranking: Qatar – 93 / Japan – 50
AFC ranking: Qatar – 13th / Japan – 3rd
A sian Cup best: Qatar – 5th (1984, 1988) / Japan – winners (1992, 2000, 2004, 2011)
Final appearances (since 1996): Qatar – 0, Japan – 4 (1992, 2000, 2004, 2011)
Previous meetings: Played 9 – Qatar wins 2 / draws 4 / Japan wins 3
Prediction: Qatar 1-2 Japan
Match odds: Qatar win $4.75, draw $3.16, Japan $2.10
Tournament odds: Qatar $3.80, Japan $1.50
Where to watch: Fox Sports (channel 670) from 10pm (Hong Kong time).
