Jordan vs South Korea

Al Thumama Stadium is the venue as Jordan and South Korea go head-to-head in a top-table Asian Cup Group E six-pointer.

Jordan embarked on their fourth consecutive appearance in the Asian Cup proper with an overwhelming 4-0 triumph against Malaysia, assuming top place in Group E after matchday one. Avoiding defeat in this ominously-looking fixture would bring them one step closer to reaching the knockouts for the fourth time in the nation’s history. However, that’s easier said than done, considering they’ve lost their last three matches against South Korea via an identical 1-0 scoreline. Scoring shouldn’t be a problem for the ‘Chivalrous Ones’ this time, as they’ve got on the scoresheet in eight of their last nine internationals. But keeping the Koreans at bay could prove tricky, knowing they had failed to keep a clean sheet in 11 consecutive games before the opening-day win against Malaysia.

On the other hand, South Korea left nothing to chance in their curtain-raising fixture against Bahrain, scoring on either side of halftime to register a convincing 3-1 victory. Bidding to take home the trophy for the first time since 1960 and advance to the knockout stages for the ninth time on the trot, the ‘Taegeuk Warriors’ can draw confidence from a sterling six-game winning streak in all competitions. Bahrain’s late was the first South Korea conceded during that impressive run, highlighting their backline as the team’s most prominent feature. But Jurgen Klinsmann’s frontline has been equally formidable, bagging 3+ goals in five of their last six outings. It suggests South Korea could net multiple goals for only the second time in their sixth H2H against Jordan.