Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023: India face mighty Lebanon in grand finale

The two sides played a goalless draw on Thursday.

India run it back against Lebanon in the final of the 2023 Hero Intercontinental Cup at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on Sunday, 18 June. The Blue Tigers are still undefeated in the competition but failed to break down the visitors in their previous-most group game.

HERO INTERCONTINENTAL CUP 2023 FINAL: INDIA VS LEBANON LIVE

Igor Stimac will hope that his side learn from their shortcomings in the previous game and are more clinical in the final. India will have to produce their best performance of the tournament to oust the higher-ranked side and clinch their first Hero Intercontinental Cup title since 2018.

The Stakes

India

For India, a win against Lebanon could be more than just clinching a title on home turf. They produced an encouraging display in the previous game, outperforming the visitors for the majority of the game and not allowing them any control of the match.

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Stimac will, however, need his players to be more ruthless in finishing off their chances because they can’t afford to be that wasteful in a final. A win for India can help them clinch silverware as well as boost their chances of breaking into the top-100 in the upcoming FIFA Rankings update. A loss meanwhile, would be a really bitter end to an impressive tournament – something the players or staff wouldn't want.

Lebanon

Lebanon would probably be disappointed with their performance against India in the previous match and be aiming for much better. The Cedars were restricted to a relatively brittle display and couldn’t really use their physicality to their advantage either.

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They will aim to be more compact and unpredictable going forward, especially by bringing more variations with their attacking moves. Lebanon were among the favourites heading into the Hero Intercontinental Cup and will aim to keep that reputation in tact. With a loss potentially seeing them drop out of the top-100 FIFA-ranked teams, it’s pivotal for them to win and show the might of their power on Sunday.

Injury & Team News

Ishan Pandita remains a doubt for the game after missing the last few games in the Hero Intercontinental Cup due to injury trouble. Apart from that, India should have a fully fit squad available.

Lebanon didn’t suffer any injury issues in the last game and should have a fully fit unit available for themselves in the final as well.

Head-to-Head

India failed to improve their head-to-head record against Lebanon in competitive football with the draw on Thursday. The Blue Tigers have only defeated them once in seven meetings, which was way back in 1977.

Predicted Line-ups

India (4-2-3-1)

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Nikhil Poojary, Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Jeakson Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sunil Chhetri, Naorem Mahesh Singh

Lebanon (4-2-3-1)

Ali Sabeh (GK), Hussein Zein, Mohammad El Hayek, Jihad Ayoub, Hassan Saad, Walid Chouar, Ali Tneich, Zein Abidine Farran, Hassan Maatouk, Nader Matar, Karim Darwich

Player to Watch

Sahal Abdul Samad (India)

Sahal Abdul Samad has been like a breath of fresh air for India in the Hero Intercontinental Cup, impressing in both his starts so far. He put on an amazing display against Mongolia, scoring a goal and dominating the game. The Kerala Blasters midfielder put in a hard-working, efficient shift against Lebanon and proved his ability to fight it out in major games. Sahal will be tasked to help India control the midfield battle, work hard and regain possession in key areas.

He’ll also look to distribute the ball around and time his final third passes to perfection, in order to create big chances. Sahal should also aim to make those clever late runs into the box to increase India’s goal-scoring capability, as his proactive figure in midfield can cause major headaches for the visitors.

Karim Darwich (Lebanon)

Karim Darwich was frustrated by the Indian backline in the previous game, having a tough time to get past the brilliant Sandesh Jhingan. However, he isn’t one to back out from a challenge and will aim to bring his very best to the table in the final. The 24-year-old is known to be a physical, aggressive striker who thrives with his link-up play and finishing away chances in the final third.

Darwich will probably need to be more involved in the game, helping with creating chances by opening up spaces for his teammates and dropping deep to unsettle the Indian backline. Darwich needs to be at his ruthless best on Sunday for Lebanon to oust India and finish away whatever chances he can latch onto.

Did You Know?

• India will face Lebanon in a final of a tournament for the first time in their history on Sunday.
• Lebanon captain Hassan Maatouk holds the feat for being his national side’s most capped player (104 appearances) and joint-highest goal-scorer (21 goals).
• India have kept a clean sheet in their last five competitive matches, having last conceded a goal in a loss to Vietnam in September 2022.

Telecast

The Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023 final between India and Lebanon will take place on June 18 at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. It will kick-off at 7:30 PM IST and will be telecasted on the Star Sports Network. Live streaming of the game will be available on JioTV & Disney+Hotstar.