Bahrain will host Saudi Arabia in the penultimate round of the stage three WC qualifiers in Asia, with the game scheduled for Thursday, 5 June.
Will the hosts get the win that would keep them in the race for the next stage of the qualifiers, or will Saudi Arabia get the points to stay in the race for direct qualification to the World Cup? Find that out and more from our Bahrain vs Saudi Arabia prediction.
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Bahrain vs Saudi Arabia prediction: An exciting and close duel
Key stats
- Four of the last five meetings between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have gone under 2.5 total goals.
- Bahrain have gone under 2.5 total goals in three of their last four games.
- Saudi Arabia have gone under 2.5 total goals in three games in a row.
Correct score prediction: Bahrain 1-1 Saudi Arabia
While Saudi Arabia have done better in these qualifiers, they are not that far ahead of Bahrain in terms of quality and they are ahead by only four points.
Furthermore, Bahrain have been able to hold their own in recent duels with Saudi Arabia and with both teams hoping for points from this game, a draw sounds like a reasonable outcome.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Saudi Arabia favoured by the bookies
- HOME: 14/5 (3.80) – 26.30%
- DRAW: 2/1 (3.00) – 33.30%
- AWAY: 10/11 (1.91) – 52.40%
*Odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
It's clear from these Bahrain vs Saudi Arabia odds that the guests are the expected winners, and by a bigger margin than what we would've expected.
Yes, Saudi Arabia are the better team on paper, but Bahrain aren't that far behind, plus they'll have the home-court advantage.
Don’t forget to check out more of our best betting tips and predictions.
Most recent H2Hs: Bahrain doing well lately
In the last six meetings between these two teams, Saudi Arabia only managed to win once, while Bahrain have three wins. That being said, if we look at the overall H2H record, Saudi Arabia still have a big advantage: 19-11-9.
Gulf Cup 08/12/19
Bahrain
Saudi Arabia
Gulf Cup 30/11/19
Bahrain
Saudi Arabia
West Asian Championship 07/08/19
Bahrain
Saudi Arabia
International Match 30/12/14
Bahrain
Saudi Arabia
Gulf Cup 16/11/14
Saudi Arabia
Bahrain
Bahrain preview: Looking for points to stay in the race
After eight matches in the third stage of the Asian WC qualifiers, Bahrain are fifth in the group with just six points. However, with two games remaining, they can still claim third or fourth spot in the group, which would get them to the next stage. That being said, they would pretty much need to win both of their remaining games against Saudi Arabia and China.
Predicted lineup: Lutfalla (GK), Emmanuel, Benaddi, Al-Hayam, Al-Khalasi, Saeed, Al-Aswad, Madan, Marhoon, Al-Humaidan & Abduljabbar
Asia - World Cup Qualifying 25/03/25
L
Indonesia
1
Bahrain
0
Asia - World Cup Qualifying 20/03/25
L
Japan
2
Bahrain
0
Gulf Cup 04/01/25
W
Oman
1
Bahrain
2
Gulf Cup 31/12/24
W
Kuwait
0
Bahrain
1
Gulf Cup 28/12/24
L
Yemen
2
Bahrain
1
Saudi Arabia preview: Chasing direct qualification
With 10 points from eight games in this group of Asian WC qualifiers, Saudi Arabia are currently three points behind second-placed Australia, so they could still finish in the top two and secure a spot in the World Cup 2026 without having to go through another stage. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia will host Australia in the last round, so they could be in a good spot if they can beat Bahrain on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia will be without Jehad Thakri in this match, while Muteb Al-Harbi and Mohammed Bakr are questionable.
Predicted lineup: Al-Aqidi (GK), Abdulhamid, Lajami, Al-Tambakti, Boushal, Yahya, Al-Ghamdi, N. Al-Dawsari, S. Al-Dawsari, Al-Buraikan & Al-Sahafi
Asia - World Cup Qualifying 25/03/25
D
Japan
0
Saudi Arabia
0
Asia - World Cup Qualifying 20/03/25
W
China PR
0
Saudi Arabia
1
Gulf Cup 31/12/24
L
Oman
2
Saudi Arabia
1
Gulf Cup 28/12/24
W
Iraq
1
Saudi Arabia
3
Gulf Cup 25/12/24
W
Yemen
2
Saudi Arabia
3
Player to watch: Mohamed Marhoon
With 19 goals in the Bahrain national team so far, Marhoon is already one of the team's best scorers, only trailing behind their legendary forward Ismail Abdullatif.
