Iraq vs Indonesia Prediction, 02:30 October 12: Last Hope

TPO - Football analysis Iraq vs Indonesia, 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers - team information, expected lineup, performance, head-to-head history. After the defeat against Saudi Arabia, Indonesia must beat Iraq to keep their hopes of participating in the 2026 World Cup alive.

Comments before the match Iraq vs Indonesia

In the opening match of the 4th qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, Indonesia performed impressively against the host team Saudi Arabia. However, they still lost 2-3 and had to enter the "life and death" match with Iraq tonight.

In theory, Indonesia still has a chance to win Group B and qualify for the 2026 World Cup. For this to happen, they must beat Iraq and wait for their opponents to beat Saudi Arabia in the final match. Even if Iraq does not beat Saudi Arabia, Indonesia still has hope in the play-off match against the second team in Group A. Therefore, victory is the order for coach Patrick Kluivert and his team, even though things promise to be very difficult.

Iraq can be considered the nemesis of the Indonesian team. Currently, Iraq has 6 consecutive wins against Indonesia. Even when starting the naturalization policy, Indonesia has not been able to overcome Iraq. In the last 3 times the two teams met - 2 times in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers phase 2 and once in the 2024 Asian Cup, Indonesia lost by 2 goals or more.

Of course, Indonesia is now very different from the early stages of 2024. They have naturalized more quality players and also changed their coaching staff. Compared to Shin Tae-yong, coach Patrick Kluivert is being rated higher. Indonesia now not only plays passive defense, but also has impressive attacking ability against strong opponents. The recent match against Saudi Arabia is the clearest example. Despite the bitter defeat, Indonesia showed that they have no inferiority complex when facing a team considered a "big guy" of the continent.

On the other hand, Iraq has just experienced a change in the coaching staff. They fired coach Jesus Casas after the defeat in the third qualifying round to appoint Graham Arnold. This is considered a rather surprising and "cold" decision by Iraq, because they have achieved many successes with Jesus Casas. However, choosing a veteran coach like Graham Arnold also shows Iraq's determination to win a direct ticket. The 63-year-old Australian coach had a favorable start when he helped Iraq win the King's Cup 2025 with consecutive victories against Hong Kong and Thailand.

Iraq has the advantage of a balanced squad, players used frequently at club level, and stability from the preparation stage. Arnold aims for a solid playing style, reasonable ball control combined with variable speed when needed.

Iraq's strength also comes from its overwhelming force: a smooth midfield, good coordination between supporting positions. Meanwhile, Indonesia is weak in terms of organized defense, especially when facing central coordination or attacks from the two flanks.

Indonesia still has individual highlights, especially if Romeny can coordinate well with players like Diks, Jonathans, Oratmangoen to create breakthroughs. However, Kluivert's team has almost no quality backup options if the main squad has problems.

History of confrontations between Iraq and Indonesia

Iraq and Indonesia have met 7 times in the past, with Iraq having the upper hand (6 wins, 1 draw). In the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers, the two teams were in the same group in the second stage. As a result, Iraq won all 2 matches with a total score of 7-1.

Iraq vs Indonesia form

Expected lineup Iraq vs Indonesia

Iraq : Hasan; Putros, Younis, Tahseen, Doski; Rashid, Sher; Farji, Bayesh, Jasim; Hussein

Indonesian : Paes; James, Idzes, Diks, Sayuri; Klok, Pelupessy; Jonathans, Oratmangoen, Kambuaya; Romeny

Score prediction: Iraq 2-2 Indonesia

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nhan-dinh-iraq-vs-indonesia-02h30-ngay-1210-hy-vong-cuoi-cung-post1786148.tpo