India vs Syria.. ah, will this be either team’s last match at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup? Their fate remains, for a large part, in their own hands. The detailed permutations and combinations have been worked out for you here — Can India qualify for the AFC Asian Cup knockouts? Working out all scenarios — but if you’re an Indian fan, the basic premise remains the same: beat Syria. Nothing but a win will do today if Igor Stimac and his men want to duke it out in the knockouts of the tournament.

You can read a detailed preview here — India vs Syria at AFC Asian Cup: Physical challenge awaits Stimac’s men in must-win clash

Now, a win may not guarantee a spot in the pre-quarters, but considering a win is the bare minimum needed to be in the conversation, it’s likely Stimac may take the handbrakes off: Sahal Abdul Samad may be fit to feature and if he does he could be a game changer… but in his stead, Brandon Fernandes should ideally start the game. Fernandes has the quality and calmness on ball that’s been sorely missed so far and his ability to create chances will be critical for a team that sorely lacks that ability when Sahal can’t play.

Syria, though, are an absolute tough nut to crack. Managed by Hector Cuper, the Syrians have proved obstinate opposition this tournament. Uzbekistan, who carved India open with absurd ease on the last matchday, were held to a goalless draw by Syria, and it took a rather special Jackson Irvine goal for Australia to beat them. The difference, here, though is that with the opposition being a team that has conceded five goals and scored none in the two matches, Cuper may allow his team to play a more expansive style — the key to the match may very well lie in whether India can exploit any resulting gaps

Both captain Sunil Chhetri and coach Stimac spoak about Syria’s physicality and the need to deal with that — while coach Cuper seemed quietly confident in his team’s ability in the pre-match presser. The good news for India is that history is on their side, they lead their head-to-head 3-2 (plus one draw),

We’ll bring you the latest updates and build-up to the match on our live blog right here:

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