Iran 0 - 0 Iraq

The number of clean sheets, or matches a team has without conceding a single goal, in a competition is a strong indicator of how well their defence is playing. The more times a team can completely keep their opponents from scoring, the more likely it is the team’s actual ability rather than just random chance.

We keep track of all the clean sheet information here, and these are the stats for Iran vs Iraq:

• Iran has played 6 matches and kept opponents from scoring a single goal in 5 of them. In other words, they have kept a clean sheet in 83% of their matches.
• In 4 home matches in the AFC Asian Cup, Iran has had 3 matches without conceding a goal. Iraq has played 6 matches and has shut out opponents on 2 occasions. That means they have held clean sheets in 50% of their matches.
• In 3 home matches played in the AFC Asian Cup, Iraq has had 2 matches without conceding a single goal. And away from home, they have a 67% clean sheet rate as the visiting side.

If both clubs have a high rate of keeping clean sheets, then there’s a decent chance of seeing a low-scoring battle between two strong defensive clubs. But for matches between clubs with low rates of clean sheets, then it’s fair to expect a goal or two.