Palestine Vs Jordan

As the AFC World Cup qualifiers progress, Group B promises to bring even more excitement in its second round of fixtures. On Tuesday, Palestine will face off against Jordan at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in a match that will be crucial for both teams. Both sides are looking to secure their first win of the qualifiers after earning one point each in their respective opening matches on September 5.

Palestine, currently sitting in fourth place in the six-team group, will hope to improve their standing following their 0-0 draw against the formidable South Korea. Despite facing a team ranked much higher in the global rankings, Palestine showed resilience in a game where they were largely outplayed in terms of possession. Jordan, on the other hand, are second in the group, also with one point, after a 1-1 draw against Kuwait, a match where they had hoped for more after leading for most of the contest.

This clash between Palestine and Jordan is expected to be a tightly contested affair, with both teams needing a victory to bolster their chances of advancing to the next stage of qualification. Let’s take a closer look at both teams’ performances, recent form, and what to expect from this highly anticipated encounter.

Palestine’s Resilience Against South Korea

Palestine entered the AFC World Cup qualifiers with high hopes, but they knew their opening match against South Korea would be a tough challenge. The goalless draw they secured in that match is a testament to their defensive organization and resilience, even though they were heavily outplayed in terms of possession and attacking play.

Palestine only had 25% of the ball throughout the game, a statistic that highlights how much they were forced onto the back foot. With such little possession, it was clear that South Korea would dominate the flow of the game, and that’s exactly what happened. South Korea completed 615 accurate passes compared to just 150 by Palestine, a stark contrast that underscores the defensive mentality Palestine adopted.

Despite this overwhelming difference in possession, Palestine showed they could be dangerous on the counterattack. They managed to produce 10 shots over the course of the match, though only one of these was classified as a "big chance." By comparison, South Korea created four big chances and consistently threatened Palestine’s goal, particularly with 12 shots from inside the penalty area.

Palestine’s head coach, Makram Dabboub, will likely take pride in the defensive performance his side put forth against a team of South Korea’s caliber. However, he will also know that to progress further in the tournament, his team will need to find more balance between defense and attack. Scoring opportunities were few and far between against South Korea, and if they hope to challenge teams like Jordan, they will need to create more high-quality chances in front of goal.

Recent Form: Palestine’s Inconsistent Run

Palestine’s recent form has been somewhat inconsistent. They have failed to win any of their last three matches across all competitions, which includes a 2-1 loss to Bahrain in a friendly and a 1-1 draw against India. However, despite this lack of wins, their overall record in recent months isn’t entirely discouraging. In their last five matches, Palestine have lost only once, a testament to their defensive solidity, though their inability to consistently score goals has hindered their ability to secure victories.

In AFC World Cup qualifying matches, Palestine have shown flashes of quality. They have only lost twice in their last seven qualifying fixtures, a respectable record considering the level of competition in these matches. Over that span, they have secured three wins and two draws, results that have kept them in the conversation for progressing through the qualification stages.

One area where Palestine will need to improve is their home form. Although this match is being played in Kuala Lumpur due to logistical reasons, Palestine are technically the home team. In their last five home matches, they have a mixed record, having won once, drawn twice, and lost twice. This inconsistency at home is a concern, especially considering their strong form in earlier fixtures, where they went unbeaten in 13 consecutive matches, winning 11 and drawing two.

For coach Makram Dabboub, the key to improving results lies in striking a better balance between defense and attack. While their defensive performances have been admirable, particularly in the draw against South Korea, Palestine will need to find ways to create more goal-scoring opportunities if they are to secure their first win in this year’s qualifiers.

Jordan’s Frustration Against Kuwait

Jordan entered the AFC World Cup qualifiers with high expectations, and they were widely regarded as one of the favorites to progress from Group B. Their opening match against Kuwait seemed to be going according to plan after they took the lead in the 14th minute. However, a late penalty in the 92nd minute by Yousef Nasser saw Kuwait snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat, leaving Jordan frustrated with the result.

Jordan dominated large parts of the match, creating eight shots from inside the box, which was four times as many as Kuwait managed. Despite this dominance in terms of attacking chances, they were unable to add to their early lead, and the late equalizer will have left a sour taste for Jordan’s head coach, Jamal Sellami.

Sellami, however, can take solace in the fact that his team remains unbeaten in their last seven matches. This run includes several impressive victories, including wins against Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan, as well as back-to-back wins over Pakistan. In those four AFC World Cup qualifying matches before the draw against Kuwait, Jordan scored 15 goals while conceding just once, a record that underscores their attacking prowess and defensive strength.

Jordan’s recent form has been excellent, and they will enter the match against Palestine with confidence. They have won eight of their last 11 matches, a run that has included several impressive performances both at home and away. Their ability to score goals, combined with their defensive organization, makes them a formidable opponent for any team in the AFC region.

Jordan’s Away Form: A Key Factor

One of the key aspects of Jordan’s recent success has been their impressive away form. They have won their last five away matches, a record that highlights their ability to perform under pressure on foreign soil. In those five games, they have kept three clean sheets, a testament to their defensive solidity when playing away from home.

Jordan’s most recent away defeat came against Japan in January 2024, a 6-1 loss that highlighted the gap between Jordan and the top teams in Asia. However, since that loss, they have bounced back impressively, winning five consecutive away fixtures and conceding just three goals in the process.

This strong away form will give Jordan confidence heading into the match against Palestine, especially considering that Palestine’s recent home record has been inconsistent. Jordan will look to capitalize on any defensive lapses from Palestine and build on their recent run of results to secure a crucial three points.

Head-to-Head and Key Players to Watch

The head-to-head record between Palestine and Jordan has been fairly evenly matched in recent years. In their last five meetings, Jordan have won twice, Palestine have won once, and there have been two draws. These results suggest that Tuesday’s match could be a closely contested affair, with both sides capable of securing a positive result.

For Palestine, much will depend on the performance of their defensive unit. Against South Korea, goalkeeper Rami Hamadeh was in excellent form, making several crucial saves to keep his team in the game. He will need to be at his best again if Palestine are to keep Jordan’s attackers at bay.

In attack, Palestine will look to Mahmoud Wadi to provide a cutting edge. The forward has been a key player for Palestine in recent years, and his ability to hold up the ball and bring others into play will be crucial if Palestine are to create scoring opportunities.

Jordan, on the other hand, will rely heavily on the attacking prowess of Baha’ Faisal. The forward has been in excellent form for Jordan, and his ability to find the back of the net will be crucial if Jordan are to secure their first win of the qualifiers. In midfield, Jordan will look to Ehsan Haddad to control the tempo of the game and provide the creative spark needed to break down Palestine’s defense.

Conclusion

Tuesday’s match between Palestine and Jordan promises to be an intriguing encounter. Both teams are in need of a win to kickstart their AFC World Cup qualifying campaigns, and with evenly matched squads, it could go either way. Palestine will look to build on their resilient defensive performance against South Korea, while Jordan will aim to bounce back from their frustrating draw against Kuwait.

If Palestine can find a way to create more scoring opportunities while maintaining their defensive discipline, they could cause Jordan problems. However, Jordan’s strong away form and their attacking quality could give them the edge in what is expected to be a closely fought contest.