AFC Asian Cup 2019: India 0-1 Bahrain - 5 Talking Points as the Stephen Constantine era ends in tears

#3 Bahrain's substitutions were spot on

Abdullah Yusuf brought calm, composure and a method to Bahraini attacks

In the second half, it was visible that the Bahrainis were getting a little desperate and it was understandable why they would be.

Miroslav Sukup needed his side to calm down, and he played his role in bringing that calm to the side. He brought on his best striker Abdullah Yusuf in the second-half as the second counter-intuitive change of the day.

He took off two of Bahrain's best players in the tournament - Al Romaihi and Ali Madaan, because he wanted more calm and composure in their attacking play. And more than Yusuf, it was Sukup's first substitute that made the largest difference to proceedings.

Mohammed Marhoon started the game against Thailand and wasn't all that spectacular, and lost his place in the side to Jamal Rashed, but he came on, and with him, came the relentlessness and method in the Bahraini attack.

Until then, it was all a little too lacklustre from Bahrain. Their only way of attacking seemed to be to get the ball into the box in any way, shape or form. Marhoon came on, and his movement immediately caused India problems. He was running in behind the defence, drifting across the width of the pitch, and suddenly India had a big problem to deal with.

It was largely the same with Yusuf. He brought calm, replacing Al Romaihi's flustered intent. Bahrain kept possession more in the final third, they were more effective in finding gaps, they really couldn't have done more than they did in trying to find that goal.