Despite the fact that India were the pre-tournament favorite, there was an expectation that the SAFF championship 2021 would be more competitive than recent editions. All of the teams have done well since the tournament began earlier this month. There are still four teams competing for a berth in the finals. As there is only one group in this competition, the top two teams in the points table will progress to the final match. Let's look at the group stage scenario and assess which two teams have the best chance of reaching the finals. Read:SAFF Football: Bangladesh to face Nepal in a 'do or die" match on Wednesday Scenario for Championship Match Berths in the Group Stage The finalists of the SAFF Championship 2021 will be determined by the last two group stage matches. Because the winner of the match between Bangladesh and Nepal will face the winner of the match between India and the Maldives in the championship match on October 16 (Saturday) at the National Football Stadium in the Maldives. SAFF Football Championship 2021 points table (as of October 10) Team Match Win Draw Loss GD Points Maldives 3 2 0 1 2 6 Nepal 3 2 0 1 1 6 India 3 1 2 0 2 5 Bangladesh 3 1 1 1 -1 4 Sri Lanka 4 0 1 3 -3 1 Read: SAFF Championship: Bangladesh lose 0-2 to Maldives Bangladesh vs. Nepal: (5 pm, Bangladesh Standard Time) Head-to-head: Bangladesh Win: 13 | Draw: 2 | Nepal: 7 Bangladesh Bangladesh have a simple equation in their quest for a final berth. Bangladesh will go to the final if they defeat Nepal.  Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka in their first match of the tournament. They surprised India by drawing the match with ten men on the field. However, Oscar Bruzon's team did not put up their best effort against the Maldives, losing 2-0. They have the lowest goal differential (-1) among the top four teams. Therefore, Bangladesh will not advance to the final if they draw their match against Nepal. So, this is a make-or-break situation for the tigers. Read CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Lionel Messi Sets New South American Record Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 4-3-3) Anisur Rahman Zico (GK), Yasin Arafat, Tariq Kazi, Topu Barman, Md Saad Uddin, Jamal Bhuyan, Mohammad Ibrahim, Sohel Rana, Biplu Ahmed, Rahmat Mia, Motin Mia Nepal Nepal kicked up their SAFF Championship 2021 campaign with two impressive wins over the Maldives and Sri Lanka. They also performed well against India but were defeated 1-0. Nepal are currently in second place in the points standings after collecting six points in three games. Nepal will proceed to the final if they win against Bangladesh. However, Nepal may still qualify for the final if they draw this match and India lose to the Maldives. Read: SAFF Champs: Bangladesh to play hosts Maldives Thursday night Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 5-4-1) Dangi (GK), Lama, Uparkoti, T.Tamang, S. Shrestha, G. Shrestha, Rajbanshi, A. Tamang, Chand, Aryal, Chemzong India vs. Maldives (10 pm, Bangladesh Standard Time) Head-to-head: India Win: 14 | Draw: 2 | Maldives: 4 India India got off to a shaky start in the tournament. They drew with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in their first two games, losing vital four points. They fought back strongly against Nepal and won the game 1-0. India are still in contention for a top-two finish in the points standings. They must win their encounter against the Maldives to qualify for the championship match. India will be eliminated from the competition if they lose points.  Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 4-2-2) Singh Sandhu (GK), Desai, Bose, Bheke, Kotal, Femandes, Ralte, Wangjam, Yasir, Singh, Sunil Chhetri   Read: SAFF Championship 2021: How Bangladesh can qualify for the Final Maldives The Maldives had a shaky start to the tournament. They were defeated 1-0 by Nepal in their first match. However, they bounced back against Bangladesh, winning 2-0, and then beating Sri Lanka by a solitary goal. The Maldives are in first place in the points table with 6 points. If the host draws their match against India, they will progress to the final. So, the Maldives are in a stronger position than the other three teams in the final race.  Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 4-2-3-1) Faisal (GK), Yoosuf, Samooh, Ghanee, Hassan, Nihaan, Ali, Mahudhee, Fasir, Mohamed, Ashfaq Verdict The top two teams in the points standings are the Maldives and Nepal as of October 10. These two teams appear to be competitive, and they have exhibited a desire to win the tournament. Though India remain the best side on paper to win the tournament. They made a fantastic comeback against Nepal in their last group stage encounter. On the other hand, Bangladesh had a promising start to the competition but struggled against the host Maldives. Bangladesh must come out on top against Nepal with a winning formula to proceed to the SAFF Championship 2021 final.      Read UEFA Nations League 2021: France Beat Spain in the Final to Become Champion  

The 13th edition of the SAFF football tournament kicked off on Friday, October 1, 2021. Each team will compete against the other in the group stage and the top two teams in the standings will advance to the final. Bangladesh opened their campaign with a win over Sri Lanka before drawing 1-1 with India in their following match. Team Tigers has a chance to reach the final for the first time in 16 years. Bangladesh's upcoming fixtures are crucial in terms of advancing for the title match. Let's look at how Bangladesh may reach the final of the SAFF Championship 2021. Bangladesh's record in SAFF football tournament Bangladesh had a strong national team set up in the early 2000s. They reached three consecutive finals in 1999, 2003, and 2005 and won the SAFF Championship in the fifth edition of the tournament in Bangladesh. They won the 2003 edition by defeating the Maldives in a penalty shootout (5-3) in the final. Bangladesh last appeared in a SAFF Championship final in 2005, when the event was held in Pakistan for the sixth time. They were defeated 2-0 by India in the championship match. Bangladesh haven't been in a final since then, and they haven't even qualified for the semifinals in the previous four editions of the tournament. Read SAFF Championship: 10-man Bangladesh come from behind to draw with India Despite spending more money on football development, Bangladesh's football has deteriorated over the last 10 years. They are presently ranked 189th by FIFA. Bangladesh's lowest FIFA ranking was 197 in February-May 2018.  Bangladesh's potential of reaching SAFF Football final After a hard-fought victory over a 10-man Sri Lankan team on Friday (October 1), the Bangladesh team showcased their real potential under newly appointed coach Oscar Bruzon against India on Monday at the National Football Stadium in Malé, Maldives.    Veteran striker Sunil Chhetri scored in the 26th minute to give India a 1-0 lead. After finding the ball in the D-Box area, Chhetri blasted the ball into the top right corner of the goal post. Read: Bruzon era starts brightly as Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in SAFF opener Bangladesh's players showed no signs of stress after conceding the goal. They tried to carry out the plan with proper discipline on the pitch, despite going down to ten men after defender Bishwanath Ghosh was sent off in the 54th minute. Bangladesh continued to counter-attack and equalized in the 74th minute, thanks to a superb header by Yeasin Arafat. The Bangladesh team looked really confident for the first time in a long time, and head coach Oscar Bruzon deserves special credit. The team's performance against India in the match has instilled a lot of confidence in Bangladesh's bid for a spot in the final.    Bangladesh currently have four points after two games, putting them in second place in the points table, just behind Nepal. The Nepalese national team has a perfect record so far, winning both of its first two games. On the other hand, India have one point.  Sri Lanka and the Maldives are yet to open their account in the points table.    Read South America World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Argentina, Brazil to face Uruguay in October Bangladesh have two games left in the group stage. They will face the host Maldives on Thursday (October 7) followed by Nepal on Wednesday (October 13). Bangladesh will qualify for the final If they win at least one match and draw the other. If they do, the Bangladesh team will have 8 points in the standings. In that case, both Nepal and the Maldives must lose their games against Bangladesh. Nepal would also need to drop points against India.   If Bangladesh win its remaining matches, they won't have to rely on the outcomes of other fixtures. Bangladesh will then have 10 points, allowing them to either second or first in the points table. Read Ballon d'Or 2021: Five favorites to win the coveted award Verdict Nepal and Bangladesh are the top two teams in the points standings as of October 4. These two sides appear to be well-balanced, and they have shown a desire to succeed in the competition. However, India remain the best team on paper, and they will surely come back strong in their next three matches. If India advance to the final, Nepal will be Bangladesh's toughest opponent for a place in the championship match. In such a scenario, Bangladesh's game against Nepal on October 13 will be a do-or-die contest for both sides. The last few group stage fixtures of the SAFF Championship 2021 will be enthralling to watch.