The Korean team is confident of a third consecutive win in Group B when it hosts Iraq at home. Currently, both the Korean and Iraqi teams have 7 points, sharing the first and second positions in the group. Whoever wins this match will have a big advantage in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
In the previous match, the Korean team had an impressive 2-0 victory on the field of the Jordan team, despite not having captain Son Heung-min due to injury.
The Tottenham star will continue to miss the match against Iraq. In addition, Hwang Hee-chan and Eom Ji-sung are likely to miss the match against Iraq for the same reason. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors duo Lee Seung-woo and Moon Seon-min could be used by coach Hong Myung-bo to face the West Asian team.
Iraq are also in impressive form in this year's qualifiers. They have two 1-0 wins over Palestine and Oman, and a 0-0 draw with Kuwait. Coach Jesus Casas' team has yet to concede a goal. The solidity of the defense and the impressive form of striker Aymen Hussein (who scored both goals for Iraq) are the basis for Iraq to aim for points in Seoul.
“We will face the Korean team, which I think is the strongest team in Group B. We are trying to prepare everything so that the players can play their best in this match. Anything can happen in the match against Korea, everything in the group is still very complicated. We have the advantage but everything is still unclear,” said Mr. Jesus Casas.
While the South Korean team is aiming to qualify for the 11th consecutive World Cup, the Iraqi team has not participated in this tournament since 1986. They are still considered inferior to the Korean team.
In terms of form, Iraq has won 6 and drawn 1 of their last 7 matches. South Korea has had a similar form, winning 5 and drawing 2 of their last 7 matches.
Historically, the Korean national team and Iraq have met 25 times, with the Korean national team winning 9 times, losing 5 times and the remaining 11 matches ending in draws. Earlier this year, the two teams played a friendly match ahead of the 2023 Asian Cup, with the Korean national team winning 1-0 with midfielder Lee Jae-sung scoring the only goal.
The match between Korea and Iraq will take place at 6:00 p.m. on October 15. With the absence of many attacking stars, it will be difficult for Korea to score against Iraq. However, their defense is still very solid, promising to discourage the West Asian strikers.
Score prediction: South Korea 0-0 Iraq.
