Russian footballer **Alim Zumakulov**, who has played for several Asian clubs, shared his prediction for the upcoming match between the Russian national team and Qatar. The game is scheduled for September 7 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Al-Rayyan, with kickoff at 18:15 Moscow time.

“I believe that the match against Qatar will be easier for the Russian team than the one against Jordan. The Russian players will be eager to redeem themselves after the draw with Jordan. In comparing Qatar to Jordan, the latter tends to play more defensively. The Qatari team, on the other hand, plays an offensive style in the Asian Championship, so they certainly won’t adopt a defensive strategy or park the bus at home. That will not happen; Qatar will aim to play actively.

From what I understand, the Qatari squad has many naturalized players, particularly from Brazil, who have been participating in the domestic league for good salaries, obtained citizenship, and represent the national team. The average age of the Qatari team is around 33-35 years. Therefore, it should be easier for us—Russia will win,” said Zumakulov in an interview with Championship correspondent Vladislav Kruglov.