South Korea and Mexico come into this game with two very different results from their first-round matches. Mexico narrowly edged out a win against group favourites Germany, while South Korea were handed a loss by Sweden. As things stand, Mexico have become the favourite to finish atop their group. However, a slip-up against South Korea could very easily turn things around.
South Korea v Mexico
Mexico Upsets Germany
Mexico shocked the world by upsetting Germany in the first round. ‘El Tri’ could not have asked for a better start to the 2018 World Cup. Now, Mexico must follow up that amazing performance with a victory against South Korea to take control of Group F. Now is the time for Mexico to get to the quarter-finals.
South Korea
After a stinging loss to Sweden in their first match, South Korea will be looking to get a result against Mexico to keep their World Cup hopes alive. Consequently, Shin Tae-Yong will look to switch up South Korea’s tactics in order to prevent Mexico from playing direct counter-attacking football. Similar to how they did against Germany. Ki Sung-Yueng and Heung-Min Son will prove to be crucial to South Korea’s success in the attacking third of the field.
Mexico
Ricardo Osorio’s side succeeded against Germany due to their pace on the counter. South Korea, however, do not play the same style of football as Germany. Mexico must create goal-scoring opportunities by attacking and dominating possession. Mexico often struggle when tasked with breaking down teams from open play. Thus, for Mexico to succeed, they have to start the game well and be clinical in front of goal. Hector Herrera will be Mexico’s key man. He will be tasked with unlocking what could prove to a be a stifling South Korean defence, as he will be tasked with setting up goals for his attackers.
Game Details
The match kicks off at 16:00 GMT at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don.
Predicted Line-ups
South Korea: Cho, Yong Lee, Jang, Young-Gwon Kim, Park, Jae-Sung Lee, Ki, Koo, Hwang, Shin-Wook Kim, Son
Mexico: Ochoa, Salcedo, Ayala, Moreno, Gallardo, Herrera, Guardado, Layun, Vela, Lozano, Hernandez
Prediction:
South Korea 0-2 Mexico
Main Photo
