Vietnam leads Group B after the opening match

Saudi Arabia's starting players are all under 23 years old. Meanwhile, Iran fielded two over-age players, goalkeeper Hosseni and striker Motahari. Hosseni has captured nine matches for Iran, including two 2022 World Cup matches.

In the first minutes, it was Hosseni's experience that helped Iran neutralize the opponent's attack. In the 11th minute, the 31-year-old goalkeeper came out to catch Al Nashri Awad's cross. Not long after that, he successfully blocked Al Juwayr Musab's long-range shot.

Iran showed better technique and ball control than Saudi Arabia. However, when they brought the ball into the penalty area, they did not pose a danger to goalkeeper Al Jubaya. Mohammad shot into the air, and Motahari shot the shot into the goalkeeper's hands.

After a 15-minute break, the match became more exciting. In the 55th minute, Iran almost opened the scoring when Jafari Seighalani flew and headed the ball off the woodwork. Not long after, Saudi Arabia responded, but Hosseni and the Iranian defenders all rushed to save the match.

Iran still played better until the extra minutes. However, luck was not on their side. In the 88th minute, Eslami missed the last chance with a header over the Saudi Arabian bar.

The 0-0 draw left Saudi Arabia and Iran behind Vietnam after the first round of Group B. Previously, Vietnam beat Mongolia 4-2. On September 21, Vietnam will meet Iran, while Saudi Arabia will meet Mongolia. Three days later, Vietnam met Saudi Arabia, and Iran played Mongolia.

The two teams leading the group after three matches will go straight to the 1/8 round. The team ranked third in Group B will compare their achievements with the teams ranked third in Groups A, D, E, F, to select four teams to continue.