Portugal already secured a spot in the knockout stage, but their job is not yet done in the group stage. They still aim to get the top spot when they take on South Korea, who is still holding on their chances for the knockout stage. Portugal needs only one point in order to secure the top spot of their group. As for South Korea, they need to win this game against Portugal for them to secure a spot in the knockout stage. A failure for South Korea to win here means a failure to secure their spot in the knockout stage. This meeting will be on December 2, 2022, at 11:00 PM (GMT+8).
These two teams met just once, which is during the 2002 World Cup where it was South Korea who won that match. However, looking at their records right now, it seems like Portugal has a better momentum. For the past 11 matches of South Korea in the World Cup, they remain winless in 10 of those. Portugal on the other hand suffered only one defeat from their last eight matches in the contest. When it comes to attacking, no one can underestimate Portugal, as they currently holds a record in the contest. They are currently the fourth best attacking team in the World Cup. As for South Korea, only two of their last six games were seen to have over 2.5 goals.
Portugal is a point away from the top spot
Portugal managed to win their first two matches in the group stage, helping them to qualify for the Round of 16. These two wins were the main reason why they were able to qualify for the Round of 16, as they dominated their group. They had a narrow win against Ghana with a score of 9-2 during their opener. When they met Uruguay, they had a comfortable lead there, and qualified them for the next round. Coming into this match, Portugal might list a history. If they managed to win this game, they might be the first team to qualify in the knockout stage while winning all their group matches. Portugal is expected to come on top in this game.
For their starting unit, Portugal is expected to make some changes. Since they already qualified for the next round, they might opt to rest Cristiano Ronaldo. After all, they have the squad who could still go against South Korea and win it for them.
South Korea will not back down
South Korea never won in any of their games in the group stage for the 2022 World Cup. During their opener, they were held goalless during their draw against Uruguay, and suffered a defeat against Gahan on their last game. Due to that draw, they still have a chance to qualify on the next round, if they win against Portugal. However, winning a single goal is not enough as they need to win at least with two goals due to goal differential. Moreover, they also need to hope that the game between Ghana and Uruguay ends with a draw. If not, then their chances for the next round will vanish. Nonetheless, it is expected that the Koreans will put on a solid display.
In a must-win situation, the Koreans have their hopes up that their main man Son Heung Min will return to full fitness. Hwang Hee-chan on the other hand is still a major doubt for this game.
Prediction:
Portugal (2.5)
Odds: -0.95
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