India and Pakistan are set to renew their football rivalry, as they take on each other in the SAFF Championship today (November 5) in Dhaka.

Naushad Moosa has a depleted Blue Tigers squad with just 17 players, but the Indian team will be confident ahead of facing their arch-rivals in this crucial encounter.

India hold a commanding advantage in their head-to-head record against arch-rivals Pakistan. Of the 29 meetings between the two nations, the Blue Tigers have emerged victorious on 16 occasions, while Pakistan have managed just four wins.

What happened in previous India vs Pakistan Match?

The previous senior men’s international meeting produced a memorable 4-0 victory for the Blue Tigers at the SAFF Championship 2023 in Bengaluru.

Sunil Chhetri was the star of the evening, scoring a sensational hat-trick, while Udanta Singh added another goal to complete a dominant performance.

The Group A encounter took place on June 21, 2023, at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. India began their campaign in emphatic fashion, with Chhetri opening the scoring in the 10th minute after capitalising on a costly error by Pakistan goalkeeper Saqib Hanif.

The Indian captain doubled the advantage six minutes later, converting a penalty to put the hosts firmly in control. Chhetri completed his hat-trick in the 74th minute, once again finding the net from the penalty spot. Udanta Singh then rounded off the scoring in the 81st minute after receiving a pass from Anwar Ali.

Igor Stimac’s Red Card Adds To The Drama

While India dominated the proceedings, the match also witnessed a heated confrontation involving the two teams and coaching staff.

Shortly before half-time, India head coach Igor Stimac intervened when Pakistan defender Abdullah Iqbal attempted to take a quick throw-in. Stimac knocked the ball out of the defender’s hands, triggering a confrontation between players from both sides.

The situation escalated, with several players becoming involved in the argument. Sunil Chhetri attempted to calm things down, but the referee eventually showed Stimac a red card. India’s Sandesh Jhingan and Pakistan’s Rahis Nabi also received yellow cards for their involvement.

Despite losing their head coach on the touchline, India maintained control and scored twice more after the break to seal a convincing victory. The result provided India with an ideal start to their title defence. The Blue Tigers eventually went on to win the 2023 SAFF Championship, defeating Kuwait in the final on penalties to secure their ninth title.