India vs Lebanon: Three key battles to decide King's Cup third-place winners

The following duels will have a major say in the eventual outcome of the King's Cup third-place contest.

The Indian men’s national football team are set to clash against Lebanon in the third-place playoff at the 2023 King’s Cup on 10 September 2023. The Blue Tigers lost in the semi-final against Iraq on penalties after leading twice in the regulation period, which ended in a 2-2 stalemate. 

On the other hand, Lebanon lost to hosts Thailand in a thrilling encounter by 1-2, thanks to a late goal by Teerasil Dangda. Despite the defeat, the Cedars created a lot of major scoring chances and were unlucky to be on the losing side.

The upcoming third-place playoff between India and Lebanon is set to be exciting. Both nations met in the Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Championships earlier this year. They know quite a lot about each other which makes the fixture even more interesting. It is hard to predict which team will come out on top but the following three battles are certain to play a role in deciding the winner:

3. Hassan Maatouk vs Nikhil Poojary

Hassan Maatouk is a livewire and central to everything that Lebanon have to offer in the attacking department. The skipper of the team leads by example and is a constant pain for the defenders, thanks to his pace and crossing ability. He loves to find space on the flanks and deliver quality balls for the strikers in the box.

He almost scored against Thailand and played a crucial role in the goal that his team scored. Nikhil Poojary, if he starts at the right-back position will be tasked to keep Lebanon’s skipper at bay. It will be a mouth-watering clash between the individuals which could sway the contest in either direction.

2. Bassel Jradi vs Anwar Ali

Lebanon’s Bassel Jradi was on the scoresheet against Thailand. He was persistent in finding the back of the net and scored with a smart first-time finish. The striker is likely to start again for the Cedars and will come up against an in-form centre-back, Anwar Ali.

The Indian defence has looked sturdy since Anwar Ali stepped into it. His partnership with Sandesh Jhingan is strong. The centre-back is scarily confident on the ball. He made plenty of clearances in the game against Iraq and will back himself to contain Jradi in the third-place playoff.

1. Hussein Zein vs Naorem Mahesh Singh

Hussein Zein looked solid on occasions against Thailand but coming up against an in-form Naorem Mahesh Singh will be a next-level challenge. The Indian winger scored a brilliant goal against Iraq and delivered an overall impressive performance. 

The battle on the left flank among India’s pacy winger and Iraq’s physically adept right-back will be crucial to the outcome of the game. Hussein Zein will be wary of the overlapping runs from Akash Mishra as well who combined well with Naorem Mahesh Singh against Iraq.