In the last 16 of the Asian Cup, Iran and Syria fought for 120 minutes to a 1-1 draw, and only won a thrilling penalty shootout, but Iranian striker Tanimi unfortunately dyed red and left the field.
Iran was in control of the game for a while, leading by one goal, but failed to extend the advantage and was equalized by Syria. Considering they have only two days to prepare for the next round of 8, this bitter battle has definitely affected the team. Facing Japan, Iran will have to steal the opponent's auxiliary forwards and strive for side breakthroughs, while Asmon's suspension for Teenyemi may become the team's main point of attack.
Japan beat Bahrain 3-1 in the round of 16 to advance to the last 8. Japan aggressively looked for openings against Bahrain's 4-1-4-1 formation, with Yasutoshi Don opening the scoring. Japan's centerpieces Itakura Hwang and Tomoyasu Kenyo were solid in defense, and the strikers were quick in movement, along with the comeback of Sanfonium, the team was significantly strengthened.
Iran will focus on defense in this match, and Japan will need to look for a breakthrough early in the game. Considering that there are only two days between the two matches, Japan will probably rotate some of their players, and Takumi Minamino's experience and vigor will play a key role. Given how both sides progressed through the round of 16, and Japan's deep bench and the return of Sanfonio, I think Japan will win and advance to the quarterfinals.
In the final match between Qatar and Uzbekistan, Qatar, as hosts and previous champions, continued their title defense with a 2-1 win over Palestine in the Round of 16. Qatar has been in hot form since the group stage, scoring goals from both raw waves and dead ball attacks, and as hosts, the team's morale is high. Afif is the pivot of the team's offense, not only scoring himself, but also creating chances for his teammates.
With Uzbekistan defending in a 4-5-1 formation, Afif's penetration between the opposing midfield and backfield will create chances for Qatar. Uzbekistan lacked efficiency in front of goal in their last match despite beating Thailand 2-1. Defensively, they will need to limit Thailand's attacking chances between their three central defenders. Uzbekistan will need to be aggressive in the first half. Uyunluv has the ability to break through the opposition defense and his walking and dribbling skills will pose a challenge to the Qatari backline.
