Does South Korea land a big point in the battle for the World Cup places?
Five matchdays into the final round of AFC Zone 2022 World Cup qualifying, South Korea are in one of the two direct Group A starting spots, as expected. So far, the “Taegeuk Warriors” have already picked up eleven points in five group matches and are only two points behind the Iranian leaders in second place.
The lead over third-placed Lebanon, on the other hand, is already six points. It is therefore all the more important to maintain this lead at the end of the current international break and, in the best possible scenario, to extend it. The upcoming away match in Iraq will point the way ahead.
Despite home advantage, South Korea only managed a draw against the Iraqis in the first leg. If they are lucky enough to win this time, odds of 1.70 will be paid out for Iraq vs South Korea. This will also allow the “Taegeuk Warriors” to extend their lead over their group rivals to ten points.
The South Koreans’ record against Tuesday’s opponents ahead of the away game in Iraq is particularly encouraging. South Korea have not lost a regular-season international match against the Iraqi national team since 1982 – will it stay that way?
Iraq – Statistics & current form
Iraq made a big splash in the last qualifying round, finishing as one of the top five runners-up in the standings and advancing to the third round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. After five matchdays in the crucial qualifying round, Iraq are currently on four points. Although the Iraqis have lost only one of their five group matches, hopes of a direct World Cup berth are gradually fading.
In the run-up to the sixth matchday, Iraq are already seven points behind second-placed South Korea. If Iraq loses the upcoming six-point match against the South Koreans, a World Cup participation will probably only be possible via the play-offs. The sixth group match therefore already has a “do or die” character, so to speak.
Because the Lions of Mesopotamia are forced to play their home games in other countries, the home advantage has no special significance for the Iraqi national team. For both nations, it is an away game on matchday six in the capital of upcoming World Cup hosts Qatar.
No win against the South Koreans again?
Since the Test match win in March 1982, a prediction on the Lions of Mesopotamia has not paid off in Iraq vs South Korea. In Iraq’s current form, therefore, an underdog tip is more than daring. In the first round, the Iraqis benefited from the South Koreans’ poor chance-taking and earned a more than fortunate point in Seoul.
Iraq thus remained unbeaten against South Korea for the second time in a row and once again did not concede a goal. Previously, the Iraqis had lost two in a row to the South Koreans. Iraq have not scored against South Korea since March 2009.
It is quite possible that the negative streak will continue in the upcoming match. Iraq have failed to score in three of their five group matches. Last week, the Lions of Mesopotamia came within a whisker of defeat against Syria. The equaliser came just a few minutes before the end of normal time.
Iraq’s likely line-up:
Talib; Putros, Nadhim, Khalaf, Sulaka, Jeahze; Attwan, Fadel, Al-Ammari; Rasan, Al-Hamadi
Last matches played by Iraq:
World Cup – AFC Qualifiers – 3rd Round – Group A
11/11 2021 – Iraq 1 – 1 Syria
10/12 2021 – United Arab Emirates 2 – 2 Iraq
10/07 2021 – Iraq 0 – 0 Lebanon
09/07 2021 – Iraq 0 – 3 Iran
09/02 2021 – South Korea 0 – 0 Iraq
South Korea – Statistics & current form
South Korea landed an important win against the United Arab Emirates last week, keeping one of their pursuers at bay. If the “Taegeuk Warriors” also beat Iraq, it would almost be a preliminary decision in the fight for the two direct starting places for the World Cup.
At the moment, the South Korean national team has a six-point lead over its neighbour Lebanon. In the best possible scenario, that points cushion could increase even further on this matchday. For the South Koreans, this is only the second away match in the current World Cup qualifying round.
So far, South Korea have only played at the top of the table in Iran. In that match, the “Taegeuk Warriors” drew points after a match of equals. This time around, the South Koreans will be looking to score three points and improve their recent away record.
Is South Korea overcoming their away weakness?
National coach Paulo Bento’s side have won just one of their last seven away games since September 2019. That win came just five months ago against Sri Lanka, where a number of key players – including team star Heung-min Son – were rested.
As in their last group match against the United Arab Emirates, South Korea will be at their best against Iraq. Bento will have all the key players at his disposal, especially in the offensive line. Major changes compared to the last starting eleven are not expected.
Apart from their poor chance-taking, South Korea once again put in a strong performance. If they can improve their chances, three points against the Iraqis are also a realistic possibility. Betting fans who want to bet on Iraq vs. South Korea can pick up decent odds if they are successful.
Predicted line-up of South Korea:
Kim; Kwon, M Kim, J Kim, Lee; Hwang, Jung; Son, Lee, Hwang; Cho
Last matches played by South Korea:
World Cup – AFC Qualifiers – 3rd Round – Group A
11/11 2021 – South Korea 1 – 0 United Arab Emirates
10/12 2021 – Iran 1 – 1 South Korea
10/07 2021 – South Korea 2 – 1 Syria
09/07 2021 – South Korea 1 – 0 Lebanon
09/02 2021 – South Korea 0 – 0 Iraq
Iraq – South Korea Direct comparison / H2H balance
In 19 international matches between the nations, the South Korean national team has a record of 6-11-1 against Iraq so far. As previously mentioned, South Korea are unbeaten against Iraq since 1982. In the last six international matches between Iraq and South Korea, there have been three wins for the “Taegeuk Warrios” and three draws.
Two of the three draws came in the last two international matches. The three-goal mark has not been broken since March 2009. This means that a prediction of less than 2.5 goals in Iraq vs. South Korea has paid off three times in a row in the last three matches.
Iraq vs South Korea prediction
South Korea is one of the big favourites in Group A. It is therefore not at all surprising that the South Koreans already have a comfortable lead of six points over the third-placed team after five matchdays. Against the Iraqis, the “Taegeuk Warriors” now face the next group match that will set the tone.
In the run-up to the third qualifying round, the Lions of Mesopotamia were among the direct rivals in the race for the World Cup starting places. After a mixed start to the current qualifying phase, however, the Iraqi national team’s hopes of participating in the World Cup are gradually fading.
With at least third place, which guarantees participation in the Play-Offs, still within reach, World Cup qualification will not be written off even with a potential defeat against South Korea. Against their upcoming opponents, however, there is little argument to back up a point win for the Iraqis.
With a confident bet of six units, we place our tip on Iraq vs South Korea at good betting odds on the visitors.
