After a slow start to the game, Qatar gradually came back to form. China suffered a blow in the 42nd minute as captain He Chao was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Just two minutes later, Qatar's Almoez Ali beat the offside trap and leveled the score 1-1 with a header.

"We conceded the goal because we were too soft, but what happened afterwards was that the players showed great personality. The game changed after the red card, as China started to play in a more direct way," Qatar head coach Felix Sanchez said.

The west Asian team made the most of the advantage after the break as China's goalkeeper Zhou Yuchen was tested by Hisham Ali and Almoez several times. The host team's hope was extinguished in the 77th minute when Tameem Al Muhaza's pass found Almoez, who scored his second goal of the game, third of the tournament.