FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2022: Bangladesh vs India - Know your opponents
India play their seventh game in the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, against Bangladesh tomorrow.
With three points from six games, the Blue Tigers are currently fourth in the table ahead of the Bengal Tigers, who have two points from as many matches.
The first-leg encounter between the two sides ended in a 1-1 draw at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, or Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata.
Bangladesh are currently 184th in the latest FIFA World Rankings while India are 105th. According to the Red and Green coach Jamie Day, however, they are a team in transition. The English gaffer heaped praise on his side's performance against Afghanistan, where they managed to get a late equalizer and secure a point.
The Bangladesh national team under Jamie Day has come under a fair bit of criticism from its fans and certain board members for being too defensive. Coach Day, though, has his priorities sorted and knows a solid defense is the only way his side can salvage anything from games against superior opponents. To that end, he utilizes the counterattack quite well.
Bangladesh have also handed a debut to Finland-born right back Tariq Kazi. He became the second player in the team to switch from Europe to join them after star midfielder Jamal Bhuyan (Denmark).
Why India need to watch out for Jamal Bhuyan
Jamal Bhuyan is someone who India need to mark and keep an eye on as the midfielder is one of the best players in the region. He played for Mohammedan Sporting in the I-League. If Jamal is given space and time in midfield, he will hurt India. His delivery into the box and set pieces need to be dealt with caution. In the first leg, India conceded from a set-piece routine in which Gurpreet Singh Sandhu failed to judge the ball's flight completely.
The Red and Green will be missing the services of their central midfielder Sohel Rana, who injured his arm in the last game against Afghanistan and will sit out his side's two remaining games.
Bangladesh are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Anisur Rahman as the goalkeeper, followed by Tariq Kazi, Mohamed Rafi, Topu Barman and Mohamed Rehmat Mia in defense. The two holding midfielders should be Jamal Bhuyan and Manik Molla. The three in front of them will likely be Biplu Ahmed, M. Zoni, and Rakib Hossain. Motin Mia will likely be the lone striker upfront.
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