Asian Games Football: India vs Saudi Arabia Live Updates

4:30 PM: Hello everyone and welcome to Khel Now’s LIVE COVERAGE of the India vs Saudi Arabia Round of 16 match in the Hangzhou Asian Games. The kick-off is just 30 minutes away! I am your host Aishwarya Chakraborty and will keep you company through what promises a fascinating evening of football. Please wait for 30 Seconds for the Live blog to load.

Asian Games Football: India vs Saudi Arabia - Build-up

The Indian national men’s football team finished second in Group A behind hosts China and have made it to the knockouts for the first time in 13 years at the Asian Games. Despite a disappointing draw in their last match, India have made it to the next round.

After the group stage, India’s focus now is on the RO16 where they will play Asian giants Saudi Arabia. It will be the toughest challenge for the Blue Tigers so far at the continental championship.

The Blue Tigers have performed decently at the Asian Games so far. Given the kind of group they had, they should’ve certainly performed better. But, what’s done is done. India should now give it all in the RO16 against Saudi Arabia.

They come into the game on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw against a lowly-ranked Myanmar. The stakes are high as it will be a litmus test for Igor Stimac and his side. 

Saudi Arabia come into the game as clear favourites, thanks to their superior FIFA ranking. The Green Falcons have been one of the most lethal sides at the Asian Games so far. They finished second in Group B behind Iran.

They come into the game after a dominating 3-1 win over Vietnam. In their first two games, they played out a hard fought draw against Iran before demolishing Mongolia with a 3-0 victory. Expect them to come out all guns blazing against India.