The crossbar saved China twice from defeat.

Qatar The ball hit the crossbar twice against China as they drew 0-0 with Lebanon in the second round of Group A of the 2023 Asian Cup on the evening of January 17.

Both teams are aiming for victory at Al Thumama Stadium today, after Lebanon lost 0-3 to hosts Qatar, while China drew 0-0 with Tajikistan in the first round. Right from the start, both sides played an open game, but it was not easy to get close to each other's goal.

China (blue shirt) drew with Lebanon (red shirt) in the second match of Group A of the 2023 Asian Cup. Photo: Lam Thoa

Lebanon then played with excitement, attacking from the flanks but their finishing lacked precision. It was not until the 44th minute that China made a standout attack. From the left wing, Dai Wai-tsun calmly swerved past a defender and crossed the ball into the penalty area. The Lebanese defender cleared it right to Zhang Yuning's feet, who shot, but goalkeeper Mostafa Matar blocked it. Wu Lei then swooped in, creating a mess before the ball was returned for Zhang to turn and shoot near the near post, but Matar was victorious once again.

Before the end of the first half, Lebanon created the best chance of the game. Hassan Maatouk cut inside from the left and curled the ball with his right foot against the crossbar in the fifth minute of stoppage time. The same scenario was repeated in the seventh minute of the second half, when the Chinese goal shook again after Hasan Srour shot from the right wing and hit the crossbar.

The crossbar twice saved China from defeat against Lebanon. Photo: Lam Thoa

China were somewhat pressured in the first half of the second half and only created one chance through a set piece in the 65th minute. From a cross from the right wing, goalkeeper Matar pushed the ball right into Wu Lei's reach for a close-range shot, but the Lebanese defender reacted in time to clear the ball off the goal line.

In the last 20 minutes of the match, China controlled the game better, but attacked hastily and without organization, mainly by individual attacks. Players from both teams also lacked composure after collisions, and there were at least two scuffles, but they did not go beyond the limit, so there were no cards.

After the first two matches of the 2023 Asian Cup, China drew both matches and ranked second in Group A with two points, one point behind the leader Qatar. The host will face Tajikistan at 9:30 p.m. the same day.

Key developments of the match Lebanon 0-0 China.

This result puts China at a disadvantage because they will have to face Qatar in the final round, while Lebanon has a higher chance of winning against Tajikistan. If they cannot gain points, China will likely stop in the group stage.

Starting lineup

Lebanon : Mostafa Matar, Nour Mansour, Khalil Khamis, Kassem Al Zein, Maher Sabra, Hussein Al Zein, Ali Tneich, Bassel Jradi, Hasan Srour, Hassan Maatouk, Omar Bugiel

China : Yan Junling, Jiang Guangtai, Zhu Chenjie, Zhang Linpeng, Liu Yang, Liu Binbin, Wang Shangyuan, Dai Wai-tsun, Xu Xin, Zhang Yuning, Wu Lei.

Hieu Luong

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