Sweden and South Korea face off as the two teams aim for a hot start.
With the glamour match of Group F in the bag, the other two teams are set to battle. Both Sweden and South Korea have the talent to advance to the next round, so this matchup could decide their fate early.
Sweden enter the World Cup after stunning Italy 1-0 on aggregate in the qualification playoffs for Europe. A goal from midfielder Jakob Johansson saw the Nordic country advance to the World Cup for the first time since 2006.
They will be facing a South Korean side that did not exactly light it up in their qualifying campaign. A 4-3-3 record saw the Asian nation finish in second place behind group winners Iran.
South Korea struggled to find the back of the net in qualifying, scoring just 11 goals in 10 matches. They should expect more of the same going into this match as Sweden can bunker well.
How will they line up?
South Korea favors a 4231 that often turns into a 433 in attack. Tottenham wide man Son Heung-min will be the star of the show up top, lining up as a left attacking midfielder.
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Son will know that he will be marked roughly by the Sweden defense, so look for him to link up play with Ki Sung-yeung in the midfield in order to open up space.
None of the defenders or goalkeepers brought to this World Cup for South Korea play in Europe. This jump in class to playing in the most intense football competition could be a shock for them, so expect Sweden to push hard in the opening moments.
As for Sweden, their well drilled 442 formation will be as annoying to break down as it is to defend against for South Korea.
Free scoring forward Marcus Berg will be one of the two front men for Sweden. His eight goals in qualifying were key for his nation and finishing abilities will
The other danger man for Sweden comes in the form of attacking midfielder Emil Forsberg. Playing as a left sided midfielder for his country, Forsberg will be tasked with exposing the South Korean fullbacks throughout this match.
The RB Leipzig man had a much more subdued year than he did in 2016/2017. From the eight goals and 19 assists the year before, Forsberg scored and assisted just two times.
This dip in form was shocking after his dominating performances prior, but Sweden will still rely on him to create chances and be a menace to South Korea.
Predictions
This will be a big match for both teams, especially considering the result in the Germany vs. Mexico the day before. The 1-0 upset by Mexico means that a win by two or more goals by either side will see them in first place for the group.
Sweden has a very experienced team that is full of talent from front to back. Their structure will cause even the most experienced teams problems during this group stage.
If South Korea can find an early goal, they will have an immense task of fighting off the Swedish attack for the rest of the match. Whether or not their back line can hold up in this tournament is yet to be seen.
Early pressure from Sweden is to be expected, and a goal or two in the opening half could kill off this game early. This is both teams best chance for three points in the group, so expect a tense match between these two nations.
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Which team do you think will come out on top: Sweden or South Korea?