Asian Games 2023 Men's Football Updated Points Table: India secures second spot in Group A, qualifies for Round of 16 

Braving the calamitous build-up to their Asian Games 2023 sojourn, the Indian men's national team secured the second spot in Group A after being held to a stalemate by a resilient Myanmar side on Sunday.

After the 5-1 hammering at the hands of China in the opener and then a clinical 1-0 victory against Bangladesh, the Blue Tigers had all to do in their concluding group-stage clash. Solely thanks to their superior goalscoring tally, Igor Stimac's men were ahead of Myanmar on the points table, despite both having three points, going into the clash, and needed a win or at least a draw to ensure their qualification to the knockout stages.

A 23rd-minute penalty from Sunil Chhetri put India ahead early on, but since falling behind, the Chinthe reacted with great vigor. Although the Blue Tigers managed to hold off the opposition deep into the second half, a 74th-minute header from Yan Kyaw Htwe crept past Dheeraj Singh into the back of the net.

India, on the other hand, continued to squander one chance after another and ultimately had to settle for the draw.

It meant, that both India and Myanmar ended their group-stage campaign with four points from their group-stage matches. Their goal difference was identical at three, but Stimac's men had scored a goal more and led them in the rankings. Hence, the Sunil Chhetri-led outfit ensured their return to the Round of 16 of the Asian competition after 13 years.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh came away with a surprising 0-0 draw against China, the only point for the Bengal Tigers in the competition. Expectedly, the Red Dragons topped the group with seven points from the three matches.

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Who will the Indian football team face in the Asian Games 2023 Round of 16?

The Blue Tigers finished second in Group A and hence will square off against the second-placed team in Group B, which is Saudi Arabia. The Middle Eastern heavyweights defeated Vietnam 3-1 in their final group-stage encounter.

The Green Falcons also hammered Mongolia 0-3 and hence will be a mammoth test for India. The Saudi senior team famously defeated eventual winners Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, hence, there shouldn't be any doubt about the country's footballing pedigree.

The round of 16 will unravel on September 28 at the Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium in Hangzhou, China. The match is scheduled for a 5.00 pm (IST) kick-off.