Bahrain U23 vs India U23 Prediction 03.09.2025 | AFC U23 Asian Cup

Since the inaugural tournament in 2013, Bahrain Under-23 have only reached the final stages once, making it to the group phase in 2020, where they recorded two draws and a single defeat, a performance that proved insufficient to progress to the knockout stage.

Al-Ahmar are clearly targeting a top-two finish in the group to earn a place in next year’s Saudi-hosted finals, but their build-up to this qualifying phase has been underwhelming, casting a shadow of doubt over their prospects ahead of the opening fixtures.

Ali Majid and his squad have found it difficult to impress since starting pre-season in mid-July, their solitary bright moment being a commanding 4-2 win over Bangladesh Under-23s, as they suffered defeat in half of their eight warm-up fixtures.

The attacking line of Bahrain U23 is particularly worrying, having failed to score in an astonishing seven of their last ten matches across all competitions, highlighting the urgent need to sharpen their offensive play if they are to mount a serious challenge for a top-two finish.

Bahrain U23 have already experienced the excitement of the competition’s final rounds, whereas India U23 remain on the hunt for their historic first qualification, hoping that this year’s expanded format will finally allow them to overturn past disappointments.

The main stumbling block for the Blue Tigers in their quest for a top-two finish in the qualifying group has been their inconsistent form, as they have gone eight matches without tasting victory in any format, including all four friendlies in 2025 (D1 L3).

The India U23 backline has been prone to costly errors recently, managing a shutout in only one of their previous eight games and allowing two or more goals on five occasions, making them a tempting target for opposing forwards.

In the last qualifying cycle of this competition, they finished second with four points from three games, but they will know that a similar performance this time could be enough to see them through to the final stages, provided they make a strong impression right from the outset.