vs Prediction, probable lineups, recent form & season stats

China arrive on a decent run over their last five friendlies: a 0-0 home draw against Thailand in the most recent round, preceded by a 2-1 away win at Singapore and a 0-2 home defeat to Cameroon, their only loss of the run. Further back come a 2-0 home win against Curaçao and, further back still, a 2-2 away draw against Uzbekistan. Tajikistan, on the other hand, arrive on a more positive run: a 1-1 home draw against India in the most recent round, preceded by a 3-1 home win also against India. Further back comes a 1-1 home draw against the Philippines and, further back still, a 5-0 away win at Timor-Leste and a 3-0 away win at the Maldives, the biggest margins of the run. Of the two head-to-head meetings, the most recent, in January 2024, ended 0-0 at China's ground; the previous one, in June 2019, finished 1-0 also at China's ground. The prediction may change in the hours before kick-off. Confirmed line-ups, late injuries, suspensions, rotation ahead of other fixtures and the state of the pitch and the weather can all alter the picture described above. In those cases the selection may be reviewed and updated within 12 to 24 hours of the match: this happens rarely, but when it does, the version published on this page is always the current one. The data and assessments here are provided for information and statistical purposes.