Lebanon take on China with eye on round of 16

Head coach Miodrag Radulovic admitted that it was the grandeur of the atmosphere at the majestic Lusail Stadium that distracted Lebanon in their 3-0 defeat to Qatar in their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 opening match last Friday.
Radulovic, however, insisted that Lebanon have already put the setback behind them and are raring to register their first win in the continental showpiece when they play China on Wednesday.
“Playing in the opening match of the AFC Asian Cup was overwhelming for the team and it caused us to make some silly mistakes and give opportunities to the opposition, but that is history now and the competition begins for us with the second match,” said the Montenegrin.
“China are a very balanced team with a lot of experienced players, and we have a lot of respect for them,” he said. “Against such a team, I want to ensure an even rhythm throughout the game which might entail resting some players and mixing the squad up a bit.”
“The competition in the group is still wide open and we will vie to collect the six points that are still up for grabs. I am quite optimistic about the match, especially with the amount of support we receive from the stands.”
China head coach Aleksandar Jankovic, also looking to lead his team to their first win of Doha 2023, chose to keep his cards close to his chest ahead of the decisive game.
“There are still two matches to go so there is no sense in drawing conclusions about qualification chances,” said Jankovic, whose side were held 0-0 by Tajikistan on Saturday.”
“Following the analysis of our previous match, we have identified some weaknesses as well as positive trends, which we will study further and use to the best of our abilities.
“Our excitement and motivation have not dipped since the first game and I think both teams are equally capable of winning. So, our target is very simple – just to score one more goal than Lebanon.”
Wu Lei confident of China’s chances; Jradi expects Lebanon to bounce backWu Lei believes teamwork will propel China past Lebanon when they meet on Wednesday.
China settled for a goalless draw in their opener while Lebanon suffered a 3-0 defeat to Loas, with forward Bassel Jradi determined to get the West Asian side back on track.
Wu Lei, who is making his third AFC Asian Cup appearance, promised that two-time runners-up China will showcase an improved performance against Lebanon.
“We drew our first game and will need to improve in our second match against Lebanon,” said the Shanghai Port striker.
“Both teams need to win and there will be plenty of adjustments from both sides and we know we need to bring our best football to advance into the next round.”
“Here at the Asian Cup, the intensity of football is high and we have observed that across all matches. China’s strength lies in our pace and intensity, which is the foundation of how we approach each match.
“Our preparation ahead of the first game may not have been up to the level that we wanted but moving ahead, we can expect to deliver a sharper performance.”
Lebanon have their work cut out after their opening match defeat but Jradi is confident they will turn the corner against China.
“China are a very strong team and we are expecting it to be an exciting match. The players are ready and we can get the three points,” said Jradi.
“We know China’s style of play from their game against Tajikistan.
“They are a good footballing nation. I play club football in Southeast Asia (with Thailand’s Bangkok United) and I can say that I’m familiar with what to expect from China.
“We are going into the match fully motivated and we are 100 percent confident we can beat them, otherwise we should not be here.”