Bahrain vs Iraq Prediction 25.12.2024 | Arabian Gulf Cup

• Competition: Arabian Gulf Cup - Matchday 2
• Date: Wednesday, 25th, December 2024
• Kickoff: 17:30 UK / 18:30 CET
• Venue: Jaber Al Ahmad International Stadium (Kuwait)

Bahrain and Iraq will look to build on their victorious starts in the Arabian Gulf Cup as they face each other at Jaber Al Ahmad International Stadium on Wednesday.

Dilmun's Warriors have left an undeniably impressive mark in the last three editions of the Arabian Gulf Cup, and they will aim for another deep run after reaching the final four twice and clinching the title six years ago by defeating Saudi Arabia 2-1 in the final. It’s intriguing that their 2019 finalists were their opponents in the opening match of the new tournament edition, with Bahrain overcoming all odds to claim a dramatic 3-2 triumph against the Green Falcons, making a bold declaration of their high aspirations.

Up next for Dragan Talajic's side is a rigorous encounter in the form of the Iraq national team, the reigning Arabian Gulf Cup champions, who lifted the trophy last year after a nail-biting contest that saw them edge Oman 3-2 in extra time. The Lions of Mesopotamia started their title defense in successful fashion, though they struggled to break through Yemen's defensive resistance, with Aymen Hussein's strike in the 64th minute proving enough to pick up all the points on the opening day of the group stage.

Bahrain vs Iraq Betting Tips: UNDER 2.5

Predicting the final outcome isn’t easy, but we believe it will be a tactical battle where chances and goals could be few and far between. The current champions Iraq have turned their defensive line like a tough nut, bst illustrated by a record of six clean sheets in their last seven matches across all competitions. With their morale high, the Lions of Mesopotamia will depend on their unbreakable defense to claim the top of Group B, aiming to surpass Bahrain, whose recent performances have been marred by a lack of finishing touch, with half of their last six games ending without a goal. The history of their head-to-head matches suggests a tight contest, with no more than two goals in nine of their last ten meetings, pointing to another likely low-scoring affair. Since both teams will likely want to preserve their winning starts in the Arabian Gulf Cup, we expect them to adopt a cautious approach, which should ultimately lead to a shortage of goals.