Leo Peterson
Dailysports's expert
Philippines
Maldives
On March 25, 2025, the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas will host the first round match of the Asian Cup featuring the national teams of the Philippines and the Maldives. We are betting on a victory for one of the teams.
Philippines
The upcoming match will be the first for the Philippines national team this calendar year. The team ended last season on a high note, reaching the semi-finals of the ASEAN Championship – the main tournament for Southeast Asian countries. This result was one of the best in recent years and reaffirmed the Philippines' status as one of the region's leaders.
In the semi-finals, the team faced the reigning champion, Thailand. The first leg at home ended with a 2-1 victory for the Filipinos, but in the return match, the opponent took revenge with the same score. In a fierce battle, the game went into extra time, where the Philippines eventually faltered, conceding the decisive goal and dropping out of the trophy race. This painful exit does not negate the team's progress, which continues to strengthen its position in Southeast Asian football.
Maldives
The Maldives national team has already played one match during this international break, losing away to India with a heavy score of 0-3. This result confirmed that the team is far from optimal form and struggles against more organized opponents.
Last year was uneventful for the Maldives – the team played only two official matches, both of which were friendlies. In November, the Maldivians faced Bangladesh twice on its field. In the first game, they managed a narrow 1-0 victory, but four days later, the opponent took revenge by winning 2-1.
Possible lineups
- Philippines: Kammeraad, Tabinas, Aguinaldo, Ugielvik, Kempter, Fernandez, Baldissimo, Bailey, Monis, Mariona, Gayoso
- Maldives: Sifau, Ali, Irufaan, Shifaz, Irfan, Mahudhee, Nihan, Ayham, Naim, Naiz, Fasir
Match facts and H2H
- The Maldives national team faces serious difficulties in away matches. In the last eight away games, the team has managed only one victory, losing the other seven matches.
- Defensive problems are especially evident on foreign soil – in six of the seven lost matches, the Maldives conceded at least twice.
- The Philippines, on the other hand, shows stable form. In the last six matches, the team has suffered only one defeat.
- The Filipino attacking line consistently finds ways to the opponent's goal. For nine consecutive matches, the team has scored, regardless of the opponent's level.
- The head-to-head history includes five matches. Two of them were won by the Philippines, one by the Maldives, and two ended in a draw.
- Only once in the entire history of the rivalry has the "both teams to score" bet failed.
Prediction
The Philippines national team enters the match as a clear favorite with odds of 1.19 to win. The hosts appear significantly stronger in class and are motivated to start the new calendar year with a convincing result. After conceding three goals in the match against an unmotivated India team, there is little faith in the reliability of the Maldives' defense. A logical bet seems to be on the Philippines winning with a handicap (-1.5) at odds of 1.65.
