Overview
While Portugal will play to prove their superiority, South Korea know that this will be their last chance to advance to the next round. A win here will make South Korea the second Asian team after Japan to qualify for the knockouts. A lot will depend on the Ghana vs Uruguay match as well.
Teams
South Korea
South Korea have been undefeated in this tournament so far. They will be eager to see if Kim Min-jae, who got injured in the Ghana match, is available. Although they managed to keep Uruguay's attackers at bay, they couldn't score goals either. They did score twice against Ghana but conceded thrice as well. That is why the Tigers of Asia are facing elimination. Their only hope is a win against CR7’s team.
Portugal
Portugal have already qualified for the knockout rounds. However, the top spot is not yet secured for them yet. If they lose here and finish at the second position, they will most likely play Brazil in the next round. That is something they would definitely not prefer so early in the tournament. In the Ghana match, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first men's player to score in five world cups. Portugal want him to score again in this match so that they may finish in a glorious manner.
Head-to-Head
History will favour the Koreans as they play their second match against Portugal as they won their first against the European opposition - that, too, in a world cup. At the FIFA World Cup 2002, which they co-hosted, South Korea beat Portugal 1-0 and eventually reached the semi-finals.
Key Players
Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min will be a key player in the Korean team as they will look to score early in the match. Ronaldo, on the other hand, will be eager to make an impression as usual.
Date, Time & Venue
The South Korea vs Portugal match will be played on December 2 at 08:30 PM (Indian time) in the Education City Stadium, Ar Rayyan.
Live-streaming Details
The South Korea vs Portugal match will be broadcast live on the Sports18 and Sports18 HD TV channels in India and Jio Cinema's app and website will both offer free live streaming of the event.
Prediction
Portugal will be frustrated by the Korean defence. South Korea will win it 2-1 and move to the next round.
