South Korea will look to maintain their undefeated start to Group A on Thursday when they host Syria in their latest World Cup 2022 qualifying match.
The hosts are second in the table and have the potential to go top depending on other results, while the visitors are searching for their first win.
Match preview
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South Korea were left frustrated after their opening fixture in Group A when they were held to a goalless draw by Iraq, despite the fact they dominated possession and had 15 shots throughout the match.
However, they quickly set that right and got their first three points on the board in the following game, defeating Lebanon 1-0 thanks to a goal from substitute Kwon Chang-hoon.
The team currently sit two points behind Iran who are leading the way in the group, but a victory on Thursday could see South Korea overtake them.
They have not lost in their last five games, which will no doubt provide plenty of confidence to the group, especially since they have only conceded one goal in that period.
The last time these two teams competed was back in 2017 and it was South Korea who walked away victorious on that occasion, and considering that they are one of the favourites to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, they will be pushing to repeat that.
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Syria have never qualified for the tournament, which will provide them with all the motivation they need heading into Thursday's match.
After losing their opening game against Iran they followed it up by gaining a point as they drew with United Arab Emirates with Mahmoud Al Baher coming off the bench to score an important equaliser.
Even though they are yet to win in Group A, if Syria can secure three points on Thursday they would have the opportunity to leapfrog their opponents and throw themselves into the mix to progress to the Qatar-based tournament.
The team have only managed two wins in their previous six matches, although they did keep clean sheets in both of those victories, proving that they can hold off their opponents when needed.
That is something they will no doubt have to do in midweek as Syria are sure to be tested by one of the strongest teams in the group.
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Team News
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Heung-min Son is sure to be the main attacking threat for South Korea on Thursday, with the Tottenham Hotspur player bringing plenty of quality to the team.
Defensively, the nation might not have many changes made after keeping a clean sheet during their previous performance, which is something that they will be keen to repeat.
Syria might also not push too many alterations to the starting XI following a positive result during their most recent outing, although they will be looking for more goals.
That need could see Al Baher earn his way into the team after he scored in the draw with United Arab Emirates, but he was used as a substitute on that particular day.
South Korea possible starting lineup:
S Kim; Lee, M Kim, Y Kim, Hong; I Hwang, Son, D Lee, J Lee, H Hwang; Cho
Syria possible starting lineup:
Alma; Oues, Al Ahmad, Krouma, Kerdagli; Midani, Hmeisheh; Maowas, Aosman, Youssef; Khribin
We say: South Korea 3-0 Syria
Even though Syria were able to earn a point in their last outing, Thursday is going to provide a very stern test as they face one of the strongest teams in the group.
South Korea are loaded with great attacking options, with plenty of quality being sprinkled into the team and they should overpower the visitors because of that.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a South Korea win with a probability of 57.34%. A draw had a probability of 24.7% and a win for Syria had a probability of 17.97%.
The most likely scoreline for a South Korea win was 1-0 with a probability of 14.63%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (11.86%) and 2-1 (9.3%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.46%), while for a Syria win it was 0-1 (7.07%). The actual scoreline of 2-1 was predicted with a 9.3% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that South Korea would win this match.
