South Korea is set to wrap up their 2023 AFC Asian Cup group-stage journey against Malaysia at the Al Janoub Stadium this Thursday.
Despite clinching victories in the inaugural editions of the competition in 1956 and 1960, South Korea has yet to secure a third triumph. Their 2023 campaign commenced with a 3-1 triumph over Bahrain, featuring a brace from Lee Kang-in. However, their momentum was tempered as they settled for a 2-2 draw against Jordan last Saturday.
In the match against Jordan, Son Heung-min initiated the scoring with a ninth-minute penalty, but an unfortunate own-goal led to Jordan’s equalizer in the first half. Despite Yazan Al-Naimat’s injury-time goal, granting Jordan their maiden victory over the Taegeuk Warriors, Yazan Al-Arab’s late own goal denied them the coveted three points.
Presently, Jordan and South Korea share the top spot in Group E with four points each. Securing a victory in this upcoming encounter would enable South Korea to claim the leading position in the group.
Conversely, Malaysia has faced setbacks in their initial two group-stage fixtures, eliminating them from contention for advancement to the knockout stage. Their focus in the concluding match will be to register their first goals of the tournament before bidding farewell to the competition.
South Korea vs Malaysia Head to Head
South Korea historically dominates the head-to-head record against Malaysia, with a significant advantage in both wins and overall performance. Here’s a summary:
Overall:
- Matches: 38
- South Korea Wins: 27 (71%)
- Draws: 6 (16%)
- Malaysia Wins: 5 (13%)
Recent Form:
- The last 5 meetings saw South Korea win 3 times, lose once, and draw once.
- Their most recent encounter was on January 20, 2024, in the Asian Cup Group E, ending in a 2-2 draw.
Other Interesting Stats:
- South Korea’s biggest win against Malaysia was 9-0 in 1990.
- Malaysia’s last victory against South Korea was in 2010.
- South Korea typically averages 2.8 points per match against Malaysia, while Malaysia averages 0.6 points.
Prediction
It’s going to be an interesting match with South Korea having the advantage. They have a good squad with experienced players and shouldn’t find it difficult defeating Malaysia. We are therefore predicting a win for South Korea.
Leave a Reply