Saudi Arabia vs Oman

Khalifa International Stadium sets the stage for an exciting Asian Cup Group F opener between Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Following a near-perfect qualifying campaign (W6, D2), Saudi Arabia’s quest to lift the Asian Cup title for the fourth time begins against an Oman side they lost to 2-1 in their most recent encounter in the Gulf Cup of Nations a year ago. However, the ‘Green Falcons,’ who reached the Asian Cup knockouts in 2019 after back-to-back group stage exits, had won three previous matches against Oman by a combined score of 5-1. Another H2H success is on the cards as Robert Mancini’s men returned to form at the best possible moment, going from a disastrous eight-game winless run (D1, L7) to winning four of their last five pre-tournament outings (D1). More importantly, the Saudis’ rock-solid backline has kept a clean sheet in all five matches.

In the meantime, Oman’s third successive Asian Cup appearance comes with high expectations, especially after the nation’s first-ever knockout qualification in the previous tournament. The ‘Reds’ have fared well in the build-up to the competition, racking up three wins in four internationals (L1), including an emphatic 3-0 victory against Chinese Taipei in their opening 2026 World Cup qualifier. Oman enjoyed a stellar start to 2024, defying the odds to beat the more heavily fancied United Arab Emirates 1-0. That success highlights the importance of scoring the opening goal, as does the fact seven of their last eight international triumphs have come ‘to nil.’ However, that’s an accomplishment they’ve fallen short of in four straight matches against Saudi Arabia after four consecutive H2H clean sheets beforehand.