On 9 June at 16:00 BST, Tajikistan and India will play their second friendly against each other in four days. It will again take place in Tajikistan, but not in Tursunzoda; instead, it will be held in Dushanbe at the Republican Stadium.
Will India take revenge for their 3:1 defeat?
Tajikistan's players are adapting to the demands of Igor Angelovski, who arrived this spring. India, meanwhile, have averaged one point per match across 11 games under Khalid Jamil.
The home team go into the match as clear favourites. Their new head coach, Igor Angelovski, made an excellent debut: his players immediately applied intense pressing, scored an early penalty in the ninth minute and confidently controlled the course of the match. At home, the Tajikistan national team is traditionally strong, the squad's cohesion is at a high level, and the emotional lift from the appointment of the Macedonian specialist only adds to their aggression. Tajikistan are on a seven-match unbeaten run, with five wins and two draws.
India, meanwhile, are in a deep crisis, and their recent loss was already their third defeat in a row. The difference in class is easy to explain: head coach Khalid Jamil was left without seven key starters because of a conflict with last season's champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who did not release their leaders for the tournament in London and then for these matches. Because of the shortage of personnel, the visitors had to patch the gaps with reserves. The only bright spot was a consolation free-kick goal late in the match, but the systemic defensive problems have not gone away, and they have little to offer against a well-drilled opponent.
In the history of head-to-head meetings, this was already the Tajikistan national team's second win in three matches over the past 10 years. Incidentally, Khalid Jamil made his debut with the India national team precisely in a match against Tajikistan. India won that game 2:1. In the return match, India should sit deep to avoid defeat. However, conceding penalties depends simply on the technical quality of the defenders. We should not expect a goal fest in Dushanbe, so it is logical to take the combined option.
Tajikistan
India
| Bookie | 1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
