South Korea will face Malaysia in the Asian Cup on Thursday, with the Tigers of Asia hoping to secure their place in the round of 16.
Malaysia, having lost 1-0 to Bahrain, has been eliminated from the tournament. South Korea is currently second in Group E with four points following a 2-2 draw with Jordan.
Match Preview:
South Korea’s chances of advancing to the next round are high, especially given that they are currently ranked #23 by FIFA, while Malaysia is ranked 107 places below them.
A win against Malaysia would secure their place in the round of 16, while even a loss might still be enough to get one of the four third-place spots available at the tournament.
South Korea is riding a 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions and hasn’t lost an Asian Cup group game since 2007.
However, they have conceded three goals in this tournament, which is more than they allowed in their nine competitive matches played before that.
On the other hand, Malaysia’s form has been poor. They have lost both their Asian Cup fixtures and haven’t won an Asian Cup group fixture since 1980.
Team News:
South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu is out for the rest of the tournament after suffering a torn ACL in training ahead of their match with Jordan.
Jo Hyeon-woo replaced him on matchday two. Captain Son Heung-min scored from the penalty spot on matchday two, which was his 42nd goal with the national team.
Malaysia made four changes to their opening lineup on matchday two.
Possible Lineups:
South Korea: (4-4-2)
Hyeon-woo;
Young-woo, Seung-hyun, Min-jae, Jin-su;
Kang-in, Jin-seop, Woo-yeong, Jae-sung;
Hyeon-gyu, Heung-min
Malaysia: (5-3-2)
Hazmi;
Davies, Tan, Cools, Eldstal, Corbin-Ong;
Fazail, Gan, Halim;
Morales, Lok
Hot Stat:
South Korea has not lost an Asian Cup group game since 2007, while Malaysia has not won an Asian Cup group fixture since 1980. Malaysia has not defeated South Korea since a World Cup qualifier in March 1985.
Key Players:
- South Korea’s captain Son Heung-min is a key player to watch out for. He scored from the penalty spot on matchday two and has scored 42 goals with the national team.
- Malaysia’s captain Matthew Davies is also a player to watch out for. He is only one cap away from 50.
Prediction: South Korea 4-0 Malaysia
South Korea is the clear favorite in this fixture and is expected to win comfortably. Malaysia’s poor form and lack of goals don’t bode well for them. Our prediction is a 4-0 victory for South Korea.
