Football
Four Nations Football: Bangladesh play 1-1 draw with Seychelles
Bangladesh started their campaign in the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksha Trophy Four Nations International Football Tournament in Sri Lanka with frustrating note after playing 1-1 draw with African side Seychelles in their first match at Racecourse International Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday.
The Bangladesh-Seychelles match, earlier scheduled for last Sunday, postponed twice due to heavy rainfall and inclement weather in Colombo.
Bangladesh dominated the first half all through playing an entertaining football to take 1-0 lead. But in the 2nd half they were completely off-coloured with their hopeless performances to settle for a draw against their lowly African opponent.
READ: Four Nations Football: Host Sri Lanka plays out 4-4 draw with Maldives
Forward Mohammad Ibrahim put Bangladesh ahead in the 17th minute by an angular shot from right wing (1-0).
Brandon Rashid netted the equalizer for Seychelles just two minutes before the final whistle (1-1).
Later, Mohammad Ibrahim of Bangladesh was adjudged the most valuable player of the match.
Earlier on Tuesday, coming from behind, hosts Sri Lanka played to a 4-4 draw with their neighbor the Maldives in the tournament’s opener.
In the match, Ahmed Wasim Razeek of Sri Lanka made a hat-trick in the very first match scoring all the four goals in the 64th, 69th, 72nd and 90+3 minutes respectively.
A Ghamee, A Fasir, Ibrahim and A Ashfaq scored one each for the Maldives, which dominated the first half by 3-0 goals.
READ: Argentina vs. Brazil: Arch-rivals will meet in the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifier in November
Bangladesh team in day’s match (starting eleven): Zico, Topu, Badsha, Susanto, Yeasin, Jamal, Rakib, Fahad, Saad, Sumon and Ibrahim.
Four Nations Football: Host Sri Lanka plays out 4-4 draw with Maldives
Coming from behind, hosts Sri Lanka played to a 4-4 draw with their neighbor the Maldives in the opening match of the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksha Trophy Four Nations International Football Tournament in Colombo on Tuesday.
In the day’s match, Ahmed Wasim Razeek of Sri Lanka made a hat-trick in the very first match scoring all the four goals in the 64th, 69th, 72nd and 90+3 minutes respectively.
A Ghamee, A Fasir, Ibrahim and A Ashfaq scored one each for the Maldives, which dominated the first half by 3-0 goals.
Also read: Four Nations Football Tournament 2021: Bangladesh to Face Seychelles in their opening match
Touring Bangladesh, which was earlier scheduled to play Seychelles in tournament opener last Sunday, has been postponed twice due to heavy rainfall and inclement weather in Colombo.
However, Bangladesh will play Seychelles on Wednesday (Nov 10) at 4:30 pm (Bangladesh time).
Argentina vs. Brazil: Arch-rivals will meet in the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifier in November
Argentina and Brazil will compete in a FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying match on November 17 (Wednesday). The match will take place at the Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario in Argentina. The first Argentina vs. Brazil 2022 World Cup qualifier game was postponed due to a covid-19 health protocol issue. FIFA has yet to decide on the fate of that match. Both South American football powers are in comfortable positions in the current qualification standings. Let's take a look at the complete CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers fixtures for November.
Team News: Argentina and Brazil
Argentina are in second place in the points standings with 25 points. Albiceleste will be closer to securing a place in the Qatar World Cup if they maintain consistency in their next two matches.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni included all of the expected names in the squad. Paulo Dybala is one of them, having missed the qualifications in October due to injury. Argentina have remained unbeaten since their semifinal loss to Brazil in the 2019 Copa America. So, the team is in excellent spirits under Lionel Scaloni.
Read Four Nations Football Tournament 2021: Bangladesh to Face Seychelles in their opening match
Predicted Starting XI (Argentina):
Emiliano Martinez (GK); Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Marcos Acuna, Gonzalo Montiel; Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Angel Di Maria; Paulo Dybala, Lautaro Martinez, Lionel Messi (Captain)
Brazil are now in top place in the points table with 31 points. Selecao will be guaranteed a spot in next year's World Cup if they win their two fixtures in November. Therefore, Brazil's team is in a fairly comfortable position, and they can put their fringe players to the trial in order to give them more international experience.
Brazil's head coach Tite has chosen all of the expected names for this month's qualifiers. Real Madrid forward Vincius Junior is one of them, who has impressed everyone thus far in this La Liga season. This young talent might start for Brazil along with superstar forward Neymar.
Read Man Utd vs. Man City: Match Preview, Team News, Lineups
Predicted Starting XI (Brazil):
Alisson (GK); Thiago Silva (Captain), Marquinhos, Danilo, Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Fabinho, Paquetá; Gabriel Jesus, Vinícius Júnior, Neymar
CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Qualifiers: November Fixtures
A total of ten South American World Cup 2022 qualifying matches will be held in the month of November.
The following are the fixtures:
Date
Fixture
Time (BDT)
November 12 (Friday)
Ecuador vs. Venezuela
3 AM
November 12 (Friday)
Paraguay vs. Chile
5 AM
November 12 (Friday)
Brazil vs. Colombia
6.30 AM
November 12 (Friday)
Peru vs. Bolivia
8 AM
November 13 (Saturday)
Uruguay vs. Argentina
5 AM
November 17 (Wednesday)
Bolivia vs. Uruguay
2 AM
November 17 (Wednesday )
Venezuela vs. Peru
3 AM
November 17 (Wednesday )
Colombia vs. Paraguay
5 AM
November 17 (Wednesday )
Argentina vs. Brazil
5.30 AM
November 17 (Wednesday )
Chile vs. Ecuador
6.15 AM
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(CONMEBOL)
Way Forward
The South American qualification process is lengthy because every team will play each other. All of the teams mathematically have a chance to qualify for the main event of the Qatar World Cup. However, given the present qualifiers scenario, both Argentina and Brazil's qualifications are all but confirmed.
This will be their first match since the Copa America 2021 final in July. Therefore, football fans all across the world are looking forward to another Argentina vs. Brazil match. The team that can maintain its composure on a given day will likely triumph over the opposition.
Read Bangladesh Football team leaves Dhaka for Sri Lanka
Four Nations Football Tournament 2021: Bangladesh to Face Seychelles in their opening match
The Sri Lanka Football Federation is hosting a four nations football tournament 2021, which will begin on November 8 (Monday). The national men's football team of Bangladesh will feature in the competition. The 23-member Bangladeshi team has already arrived in Sri Lanka to compete in the tournament. This will be Portuguese coach Mario Lemos' first assignment as head coach. All eyes will be on him during the competition to see how his team performs. Let's take a look at the teams that will participate and the tournament schedule.
Who will compete in the 2021 Four Nations Football Competition?
Bangladesh, Seychelles, Maldives, and host Sri Lanka are the four teams competing in the championship. According to the most recent FIFA rankings, Maldives have the highest (156) FIFA ranking among the teams. Bangladesh are ranked 187th, followed by Seychelles (199) and Sri Lanka (204).
Also read: Bangladesh Football team leaves Dhaka for Sri Lanka
The Maldives performed well in the 2021 SAFF Championship. They came in the third position in the group, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the finals. Sri Lanka's greatest performance in the tournament came in a 0-0 draw against India. The Sri Lankan national team finished last in the standings. Bangladesh began their SAFF Championship campaign with a victory, but their momentum halted in the last two games. On the other hand, Seychelles is a member of the African Football Confederation (CAF).
The Bangladesh Football Federation has chosen Mario Lemos as head coach following their failure in the South Football Championship. He is the current head coach of Abahani Ltd and is familiar with the Bangladesh players. BFF is hopeful that Mario's appointment will help Bangladesh win a multi-national contest and improve their current rankings.
Read Sepp Blatter, Platini indicted for fraud in Switzerland
Tournament Format and Fixtures
There will be only one group in the four-nation football competition 2021. In other words, each of the four teams will compete against the other. The top two teams in the points standings will advance to the championship match on November 17th (Wednesday). All of the games will be staged at Colombo's Racecourse Ground.
Bangladesh will play Seychelles in their opening match of the competition, which will begin on November 8 at 4.30 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). Bangladesh's prospects in the tournament will be defined by how well they do in the first match.
Read Atalanta vs. Man Utd: Magnificent Cristiano Ronaldo saves Manchester United once again
Complete tournament schedule
Complete tournament schedule
Date
Matches
Time (Bangladesh Standard Time)
08/11/2021
Bangladesh vs. Seychelles
4.30 pm
08/11/2021
Sri Lanka vs. Maldives
9.30 pm
11/11/2021
Bangladesh vs. Maldives
4.30 pm
11/11/2021
Sri Lanka vs. Seychelles
9.30 pm
14/11/2021
Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh
4.30 pm
14/11/2021
Seychelles vs. Maldives
9.30 pm
17/11/2021
Final
7.30 pm
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Four_Nations_Football_Tournament_(Sri_Lanka)
Read Bangladesh Football team leaves Dhaka for Sri Lanka
Bangladesh Squad
Ashraful Islam Rana (GK), Anisur Rahman Zico (GK), Shahidul Alam Sohel (GK), Yeasin Arafat (DF), Rahmat Mia (DF), Topu Barman (DF), Rezaul Karim (DF), Riyadul Hasan Rafi (DF), Tutul Hossain Badsha (DF), Yeasin Khan (DF), Sushanto Tripura (DF), Jamal Bhuyan (MF, Captain), Atiqur Rahman Fahad (MF), Mohammad Ridoy (MF), Rakib Hossain (MF), Obidur Rahman Nawbab (MF), Sumon Reza (FW), Mahbubur Rahman Sufil (FW), Jewel Rana (FW), Mohammad Ibrahim (FW), Saad Uddin (FW), Mehedi Hasan Royal (FW), Foysal Ahmed Fahim (FW)
Bottom Line
Bangladesh does have a good chance of winning the tournament since they are the tournament's second-best team as per FIFA rankings. The majority of the players competed in the just-finished SAFF Football Championship 2021 and have excellent chemistry between them. Mario Lemos has to unite his group in order to achieve the best performance on the field.
Bangladesh's strongest opponent in this competition will be the Maldives, who have the highest ranking and are stronger than the other teams. However, Bangladesh have a realistic chance to win the four nations football competition 2021 if they can show consistency from the start.
Read Man Utd vs. Man City: Match Preview, Team News, Lineups
Man Utd vs. Man City: Match Preview, Team News, Lineups
Manchester United will face arch-rival Manchester City in a crucial Premier League encounter on Saturday (November 6) at 6.30 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). This derby match is generating a lot of excitement, as both teams are determined to prove who the best in Manchester is.
United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjær is under pressure to deliver well in big matches, while Pep Guardiola's side will be looking to close the gap on league leader Chelsea. Let's take a look at the match preview of Man Utd vs. Man City.
Probable Team Lineups: Man Utd vs. Man City
Manchester United have a number of injury concerns, notably on the backline that must be addressed. Otherwise, City's superb offensive line will frighten their defense.
Read: Bangladesh Football team leaves Dhaka for Sri Lanka
Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane will miss the match due to injuries, while Paul Pogba is suspended. Aside from that, all Man United players are available for selection.
Probable Starting XI (Manchester United):
David de Gea (GK); Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Luke Shaw; Scott McTominay, Donny van de Beek, Bruno Fernandes; Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani, Cristiano Ronaldo
Like the other side of Manchester, Pep Guardiola's team has a problem in defense. The team's first-choice right-back Kyle Walker is doubtful due to injury. Therefore, they must rearrange their ideal formation.
On the other hand, Manchester City have enough talent in the team to replace him. The central defender Aymeric Laporte is suspended and will miss this match, while Ferran Torres is still recovering from an injury.
Read: Neymar Jr. Philanthropy: Famous Brazilian Footballer's Inspiring Charitable Work
Probable Starting XI (Manchester City):
Ederson Moraes (GK); Rúben Dias, John Stones, João Cancelo, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, İlkay Gündoğan; Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus
Head-to-Head: Manchester United vs. Manchester City
Both teams have faced each other 48 times in the Premier League, with Manchester United dominating the rivalry 24 to 15. United have scored 70 goals against the Citizens in the Premier League, while City have scored 61 goals against them. Man United have 18 clean sheets compared to Man City's ten clean sheets. Manchester City have won seven away (at Old Trafford) league matches (joint-most with Liverpool) against Manchester United.
Both clubs have played each other in a total of 185 matches across all competitions. Manchester United have the most victories with 77. Manchester City have won 55 games, with the remaining 53 games ending in a draw. Wayne Rooney (11 goals), Jose Hayes (10 goals), Francis Lee (10 goals), Sergio Aguero (9), and Bobby Charlton (9) are the top five goal scorers in Manchester derby.
Match Prediction: Man Utd vs. Man City
Manchester City will be favorites in this fixture despite not having won a Premier League match against Manchester United since April 2019. The Red Devils have a chance in this match if they play to their full potential.
Read: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo: Who made the strongest start with the new clubs?
Pep Guardiola has plenty of offensive options at his disposal. He can choose to go all-in against the home team. The best formation for Man City would be a 4-3-3 with Gabriel Jesus as the lone striker.
On the other hand, Manchester United will be satisfied with a draw. An open play could be expected if Man City scored early in the game. They can use a 4-4-2 system or adapt to a 3-4-1-2 formation to strengthen the defense and midfield. United's key objective would be to contain the City's attacks and fight for at least a single point until the final whistle.
Prediction: Manchester City 2-0 Manchester United
Verdict
Based on the recent form and squad strength, Manchester City are the favourites in the Man Utd vs. Man City fixture. Manchester United haven't been consistent this season albeit winning some close moments thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's individual brilliance. Particularly, they have struggled against tougher opponents, indicating that this squad isn't strong enough to defeat big teams.
Read: Ballon d'Or 2021: Meet the Nominees
On the other side, the reigning Premier League champion Manchester City are one of the favourites in this season. The Citizens will surely put up a good fight against the Red Devils. Overall, this Manchester derby promises to be a thrilling match.
Bangladesh Football team leaves Dhaka for Sri Lanka
Bangladesh national football team will leave Dhaka for Sri Lanka on Friday morning to participate in the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksha Trophy Four Nations International Tournament scheduled for November 8-17 .
During the national team’s practice session on Wednesday at Fortis Academy ground in Badda, Bangladesh captain and players assured BFF President Kazi Salauddin of their determination to win the trophy.
Bangladesh team will play the opening match against Seychelles on November 8, the Maldives on November 11 and hosts Sri Lanka on November 14.
Top two teams of the four-nation meet, will play in the final on November 17.
A total 16 players and team officials will fly for the Island nation Friday morning from Dhaka while remaining seven booters of the squad with five officials, were in Uzbekistan for playing the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, already reached Sri Lanka Thursday afternoon.
Bangladesh squad: Anisur Rahman Zico, Ashraful Islam Rana, Shahidul Alam Sohel, Tapu Barman, Yeasin Arafat, Rezaul Karim, Riadul Hasan Rafi, Rahmat Ali, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Susanto Tripura, Yeasin Khan, Atiqur Rahman Fahad, Mohammad Ibrahim, Obaidur Rahman Nawab, Saaduddin, Jewel Rana, Jamal Bhuiyan, Rakib Hossain, Mehdi Hasan Royal, Sumon Reza, Mohammad Hridoy, Mahbubur Rahman Sufil and Foysal Ahmed Fahim.
Atalanta vs. Man Utd: Magnificent Cristiano Ronaldo saves Manchester United once again
Manchester United held Atalanta to a 2-2 draw thanks to an injury-time strike from Cristiano Ronaldo. The Red Devils had a little advantage in ball possession, but La Dea created more chances during the match. Manchester United lead the Group F points standings after four matches, followed by Villarreal, who defeated Young Boys 2-0 on the same evening. Atalanta and Young Boys are now third and fourth in this group, respectively. The match report of Atalanta vs. Manchester United is discussed in this article.
Match Report: Atalanta vs. Man Utd
Cristiano Ronaldo has proven to be a savior for Manchester United since making his second start at Old Trafford. He scored twice in the encounter against Atalanta, including a stoppage-time goal to snatch a point away from home. This point did not guarantee a spot in the Round of 16 of the Champions League 2021/2022 season. However, Manchester United remained top of Group F with 7 points as a result of the outcome.
Atalanta pressed hard in the first 30 minutes and equalized in the 12th minute of the game. Atalanta's Duvan Zapata was outstanding on the night. He was a constant danger to Man United's defense. Zapata set up a nice assist for Josip Ilicic, who smashed the ball into the net to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Read Sepp Blatter, Platini indicted for fraud in Switzerland
Manchester United coach Ole had to adjust his formation because of an injury to defender Raphael Varane. The visitors made a valiant effort to equalize, and courtesy to some excellent teamwork in the injury time before halftime, they were able to do it. Ronaldo hammered the ball into the right corner after receiving a through pass from compatriot Bruno Fernandes.
It didn't take long for Atalanta to regain the advantage. Atalanta seized a 2-1 lead in the match with a goal by Duvan Zapata in the 11th minute of the second half. He raced down the left-wing, breaking past Harry Maguire, and placing the ball into the right corner of the net.
The Manchester United players tried to throw away the lead after that, but they were unable to create a consistent effort in the opposition quarter. Conversely, Atalanta executed a number of counter-attacks and they had better chances than Man United.
Read AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh concede 0-3 goal defeat against Saudi Arabia
Then, in the 91st minute, Cristiano Ronaldo slammed a thunderous low volley into the bottom left corner of the net, beating the goalkeeper to tie it up at 2-2. Manchester United did not leave the field empty-handed thanks to Ronaldo's strike.
Match Statistics: Manchester United vs. Atalanta
Manchester United had 53 percent ball possession, while Atalanta had 47 percent, according to the match statistics. The visiting team made 566 passes, while the home team made 504 passes.
Manchester United had a passing accuracy of 82 percent, while Atalanta had an accuracy of 83 percent. Man Utd attempted 13 shots and had four of them hit the target. On the other hand, Atalanta made 10 efforts and had four shots on target.
Read UEFA Champions League 2021/2022: GroupWise Favorites to qualify for Round 16
Atalanta were penalized for 11 fouls but received no cards. On the other hand, Manchester United committed 14 fouls and received one yellow card.
Aftermath
Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjær was under fire coming into this match after a devastating 5-0 loss to Liverpool just a few days ago. Though his team made an unbelievable comeback earlier this week, winning 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against Spurs.
However, Man United showed once again on Wednesday (November 2) against Atalanta that they are not a strong enough team to win big games. Instead, they rely heavily on their star player Cristiano Ronaldo, who saved the Red Devils for the third time in the Champions League this season.
Read Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo: Who made the strongest start with the new clubs?
Manchester United's next encounter is on November 23 against Villarreal, while Atalanta will face Young Boys on November 24. The outcome of these two games might determine the group's fate.
Sepp Blatter, Platini indicted for fraud in Switzerland
Former FIFA officials Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were charged with fraud and other offenses by Swiss prosecutors on Tuesday after a six-year investigation into a controversial $2 million payment.
The 85-year-old Blatter and 66-year-old Platini now face a trial at federal criminal court in Bellinzona. They could be jailed for several years if found guilty, though Swiss cases often take years to reach a conclusion.
"This payment damaged FIFA's assets and unlawfully enriched Platini," Swiss federal prosecutors said in a statement.
The case was opened in September 2015 and ousted Blatter ahead of schedule as FIFA president. It also ended Platini's campaign to succeed his former mentor.
It centers on Platini's written request to FIFA in January 2011 to be paid backdated additional salary for working as a presidential adviser in Blatter's first term, from 1998-2002.
Blatter told FIFA to make the payment within weeks. He was preparing to campaign for re-election in a contest against Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, where Platini's influence with European voters was seen as a key factor.
"The evidence gathered by the (attorney general's office) has corroborated that this payment to Platini was made without a legal basis," prosecutors said.
Both Blatter and Platini have long denied wrongdoing and cited a verbal agreement they had made, now more than 20 years ago, for the money to be paid.
Blatter has been charged with fraud, mismanagement, misappropriation of FIFA funds and forgery of a document. Platini has been charged with fraud, misappropriation, forgery and as an accomplice to Blatter's alleged mismanagement.
Fraud and forgery charges can be punished with jail sentences of up to five years.
"I view the proceedings at the federal criminal court with optimism — and hope that, with this, this story will come to an end and all the facts will be worked through cleanly," Blatter said in a statement.
Platini, was not placed under formal investigation until last year, and months later the more serious allegation of fraud was included against both men.
The three-time Ballon d'Or winner, who was captain of his national team when France won the European Championship in 1984, said Tuesday he was "perfectly confident and calm" about the outcome.
"I fully contest these unfounded and unfair accusations," Platini said in a statement.
Platini has long said, and Blatter repeated Tuesday, that he declared the payment and paid taxes on it in Switzerland.
Prosecutors had opened criminal proceedings against Blatter ahead of a police raid at FIFA headquarters in Zurich on the day he and Platini attended a meeting of the soccer body's executive committee.
That came four months after a sweeping U.S. Department of Justice corruption investigation into world soccer was revealed with early-morning arrests of officials from the Americas at luxury hotels in Zurich in May 2015.
In the fallout of those hotel raids, and only days after being elected FIFA president for a fifth time, Blatter announced his plan to resign and call another vote to find a successor.
Platini had long been the expected FIFA heir but his campaign was derailed by the police visit to FIFA's offices even though he was not yet a suspect.
The FIFA ethics committee soon suspended both men for several weeks before banning each for six years.
Platini's ban was later reduced to four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on appeal, and he was cleared to return to soccer duty in October 2019. He had been linked to seeking a seat on the executive board of FIFPRO, the global group of soccer player unions.
Blatter has been in poor health and a final round of questioning by Swiss investigators was delayed until August.
After undergoing heart surgery last December, Blatter spent a week in an induced coma.
Blatter also faces a separate criminal proceeding related to authorizing a $1 million FIFA payment to Trinidad and Tobago in 2010 into the control of then-FIFA vice president Jack Warner. Two former FIFA officials are also suspects in that investigation.
The Swiss investigations of Blatter, and later Platini, were refocused after prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand joined the case following turmoil in the attorney general's office. The former lead prosecutor, Olivier Thormann, left the federal office in late-2018 after being cleared of a complaint of misconduct in the investigation.
Hildbrand, who is from the same hometown as Blatter, was then brought on to the investigation team with the reputation of having led a previous high-profile case tied to FIFA: the 2001 financial collapse of World Cup marketing agency ISL. Blatter's lawyers failed in court to have Hildbrand removed from the current case.
The attorney general who was overseeing FIFA investigations in Switzerland, Michael Lauber, resigned last year because of misconduct. He was found to have misled an internal investigation into his undeclared meetings with current FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Infantino was elected to lead FIFA in 2016 after stepping in to be UEFA's emergency election candidate when Platini was suspended and then banned.
AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh concede 0-3 goal defeat against Saudi Arabia
Bangladesh U-23 Football team completed their Group D engagement of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup’ 2022 Qualifiers with a frustrating note losing all the three matches to back home empty handed.
In a do or die last match to decide group runners-up, Bangladesh suffered 0-3 goal defeat against Saudi Arabia at the JAR Stadium in Tashkent on Tuesday.
Read: AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh to face Saudi Arabia on Tuesday
Captain cum defender Soud Abdullah put Saudi Arabia ahead in the 16th minute (1-0) while medio Ziyad Mubarak doubled the margin in the following minute to lead the first half by 2-0 goal.
Another midfielder Aiman Yahya sealed the fate of the match scoring the 3rd goal in the 70th minute for Saudi Arabia (3-0).
In the day’s battle of two winless teams, Saudi Arabia outplayed Bangladesh to keep their hope alive for the 16-team final round as one of the four best runners up team.
Eleven group champions, four best group runners-up and hosts Uzbekistan will play in the 16-team final round.
Earlier, Kuwait smartly clinched the Group D title to qualify for the final round beating Bangladesh by 1-0 goal and Saudi Arabia by 2-1 goal.
Read:AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh suffer 0-6 defeat against Uzbekistan
In the last Saturday, Bangladesh suffered a humiliating 0-6 gaal defeat against hosts Uzbekistan in a Group D international friendly match, results of which not made any impact in the Group D standings as the hosts Uzbekistan have already qualified for the final round as the hosts.
Uzbekistan played to a 2-2 draw with Saudi Arabia in another international friendly match in Tashkent last week.
UEFA Champions League 2021/2022: GroupWise Favorites to qualify for Round 16
The UEFA Champions League 2021/2022 group stage will end in the first week of December. This phase features eight groups and 32 teams. Each group's top two teams will progress to the Round of 16. The first round of the knockout stage will take place in the coming February. Which teams in the group stage have the highest chance of making it to Round 16 in this season's Champions League is discussed in this article. Let's take a look at the latest group phase scenario.
Favorites to advance to the UEFA Champions League 2021-2022 Round of 16
Each team has played three matches so far in the group stage. Let us analyze each group's situation.
Group A
Paris Saint-Germain have earned seven points in three games and they are currently in first place in Group A. They will almost certainly qualify for the Round of 16 if they win their next match on November 3 against RB Leipzig. Manchester City and Club Brugge are battling it out in Group A for second place. They will face off in their next match, with the winner likely finishing in the top two in the points standings.
Verdict: PSG and Manchester City
Read Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo: Who made the strongest start with the new clubs?
Group B
If group B leader Liverpool win at home against Atletico Madrid on November 3, they will qualify for the Round of 16 in this year’s Champions League. If Liverpool advance, the battle for second place will be between Atletico Madrid and Porto. Both teams have four points in the standings.
Verdict: Liverpool and Atletico Madrid
Group C
Dutch team Ajax currently lead Group C with 9 points and they are only one win away from securing a place in the Round of 16. Borussia Dortmund of Germany and Sporting CP of Portugal are both vying for second place. The fate of this group might very well be decided on the last day of group stage fixtures.
Verdict: Ajax and Borussia Dortmund
Read AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh suffer 0-6 defeat against Uzbekistan
Group D
Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova upset Real Madrid with a 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu. They presently have a 6-point in Group D's point standings. However, the fate of this group will be decided on the final day of the group stage round as Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Sheriff Tiraspol are all in the Round of 16 race.
Verdict: Real Madrid and inter Milan
Group E
Bayern Munich remained unbeaten in Group E at the end of matchday 3. If Bayern beat Benfica on Tuesday, they will advance to the Round of 16. Then FC Barcelona and Benfica will fight for a second-place finish in this group. It will most likely be determined who finish second in the points standings when both clubs play at the Camp Nou on November 23rd.
Verdict: Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona
Read Who can replace coach Ronald Koeman at FC Barcelona?
Group F
Manchester United are in first place with six points after three games. Their spot in the Round of 16 is far from certain. Man Utd must fight hard till the end against Villarreal and Atalanta in order to finish top two in the points standings. It will undoubtedly be a fascinating race between them.
Verdict: Manchester United and Villarreal
Group G
Red Bull Salzburg have shocked everyone by grasping the lead in Group G's point standings. They have 7 points after three games. If Salzburg defeat Wolfsburg on November 2, they will qualify for the Round of 16 in this year's Champions League. Therefore, Sevilla, Lille, and Wolfsburg will battle it out for a spot in the first knockout round till the end.
Verdict: Red Bull Salzburg and Sevilla
Read Man United humiliated: Salah hat trick in 5-0 Liverpool rout
Group H
The fight for a spot in the Round of 16 is heating up in Group H. Juventus are presently in first place with 9 points, followed by Chelsea (6 points), and Zenit Saint Petersburg (3 points). If Juventus defeat Zenit on November 2 at home, they will advance to the next round.
Verdict: Juventus and Chelsea
Bottom Line
When looking at the current situation of each group, it is evident that PSG, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Juventus are in better positions. If they win their next group stage matches, they will all qualify for the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League 2021/2022 season.
The final games in the group stage generally have a lot of twists and turns. There is a strong possibility of several exciting contests in this season's final few fixtures. However, the team with the best overall performance will advance to the first knockout round of Europe's most popular club-level competition.
Read Madrid wins 2-1 at Barcelona in first post-Messi ‘clásico’