Saudi Arabia vs Indonesia prediction and betting tips – September 5, 2024
In the third round of AFC qualification for the 2026 World Cup, Saudi Arabia will face Indonesia at home. This match is scheduled for Thursday, September 5, with kickoff at 20:00 Central European Time. Dailysports experts have prepared a forecast for this match.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia had a solid performance in the second round of World Cup qualification. In six games, they secured four victories, drew once, and suffered one defeat. The final match saw a 1-2 loss to Jordan, which resulted in Saudi Arabia finishing second in the group. Despite having equal points with Jordan, Saudi Arabia trailed in goal difference. Now, they are set to face Bahrain, Australia, Japan, China, and Indonesia. Saudi Arabia participated in the previous World Cup, where they delivered one of the tournament's biggest upsets by defeating Argentina 2-1 in their opening match, though they failed to progress to the knockout stages.
Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia competed in the Asian Cup, where they reached the round of 16. They faced a formidable opponent in South Korea but were unable to secure victory, losing in a penalty shootout and exiting the tournament.
Indonesia
Indonesia's only World Cup appearance was in 1938, when the country was known as the Dutch East Indies. Since then, they haven't qualified for the tournament. In the second round of the current qualification, Indonesia accumulated ten points in six matches, finishing eight points behind the group winners. Despite this, they advanced to the third round, where they will compete against Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia, Bahrain, and China.
Like Saudi Arabia, Indonesia also participated in the 2024 Asian Cup, where they reached the knockout stages but suffered a 0-4 defeat to Australia in the round of 16. Despite being one of the largest countries in the world by both area and population, Indonesia's national team is not among the AFC's elite, currently ranked 133rd in the FIFA rankings.
Interesting facts and head-to-head meetings
- The last encounter between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia was in 2014, with Saudi Arabia winning 1-0.
- None of Indonesia's last seven away matches have ended in a draw.
- Saudi Arabia has scored first in their last five matches.
Saudi Arabia vs Indonesia Prediction
Playing on home soil with recent World Cup experience, Saudi Arabia are the clear favorites against Indonesia, a point that’s difficult to dispute. I would bet on Saudi Arabia's individual total over 2.5 goals with odds of 2.25.
