The Green Falcons earned a spot in the knockout stage courtesy of winning Group F, having taken seven points from three games, while the Red Devils finished second in Group E, with five points to their name.
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Two of the heavyweights of Asian football will go head-to-head in what promises to be an enthralling AFC Asian Cup round of 16 fixture as Saudi Arabia take on South Korea at Education city Stadium on Tuesday. The Green Falcons earned a spot in the knockout stage courtesy of winning Group F, having taken seven points from three games, while the Red Devils finished second in Group E, with five points to their name. Meanwhile, the Arabian outfit have never won a match against the Koreans since a 2005 World Cup qualifier, though they prevailed 2-1 in the last time these two sides faced each other in the knockout stage of this tournament in the 2000 semi-finals.
3x🏆 winners Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 go against Korea Republic 🇰🇷 the 2-time champion
Who do you think will win? 👇#AsianCup2023 #HayyaAsia pic.twitter.com/Pz2hQy1N0T
— AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 (@Qatar2023en) January 30, 2024
Saudi Arabia has definitely gone from strength to strength since their surprise victory over Argentina in the World Cup group fixture back in 2022, as they have gone unbeaten in the group portion of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time since 2007. The Green Falcons recorded back-to-back wins over Oman and Kyrgyzstan before being held to a goalless draw by Thailand on matchday three of Group F. Roberto Mancini’s men have now stitched together an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions, recording six wins in the period. The legendary Italian tactician took charge of the Arab nation back in August 2023, and their impressive work in the defensive department is no surprise give the reputation of 59 year old.
South Korea, on the other hand, surprisingly finished second if Group E, because of back-to-back draws with Jordan (2-2) and Malaysia (3-3), while their lone success came against Bahrain in their opening fixture of the tournament versus Bahrain almost two weeks ago. Taegeuk Warriors are heading into the match on the back of a thrilling six-goal draw against Malaysia on matchday three of Group E, Jeong Woo-yeong, Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min found the back of the net for the Red Devils against Harimau Malaya. For a second successive encounter Jurgen Klinsmann’s side had the bulk share of possession, but were poor at the back, conceding four efforts on target, three of which were goals. Nevertheless, Taegeuk Warriors have extended their unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions, recording seven successive wins in the process.
Saudi Arabia probable starting lineup: Al-Kassar, Al-Briek, Al-Tambakti, Lajami, Al-Bulaihi, Abdulhamid, Ali, Al-Malki, Ghareeb, S. Al-Dawsari, Al-Shehri
South Korea probable starting lineup: Hyeon-woo, Young-woo, Seung-hyun, Min-jae, Jin-su, Kang-in, In-beom, Woo-yeong, Jae-sung, Gue-sung, Heung-min
Saudi Arabia
| Opponents | Score |
| Thailand | 0-0 (D) |
| Kyrgyzstan | 0-2 (W) |
| Oman | 2-1 (W) |
| Hong Kong | 0-2 (W) |
| Palestine | 0-0 (D) |
South Korea
| Opponents | Score |
| Malaysia | 3-3 (D) |
| Jordan | 2-2 (D) |
| Bahrain | 3-1 (W) |
| Iraq | 1-0 (W) |
| China | 0-3 (W) |
| Last 5 match-results | Score |
| South Korea beat Saudi Arabia | 1-0 |
| South Korea draw Saudi Arabia | 0-0 |
| South Korea beat Saudi Arabia | 2-0 |
| South Korea draw Saudi Arabia | 0-0 |
| South Korea beat Saudi Arabia | 0-2 |
The AFC Asian Cup fixture between Saudi Arabia and South Korea will take place at Education city Stadium on Tuesday at 9:30 pm IST.
| Saudi Arabia vs South Korea | Key Details |
| Date | January 30 |
| Venue | Education City Stadium |
| Kickoff time in Saudi Arabia | 7:00 pm (Tuesday) |
| Kickoff time in South Korea | 1:00 am (Wednesday) |
| Kickoff time in Qatar | 7:00 pm (Tuesday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 9:30 pm (Tuesday) |
Football fans in India can live stream the game through Jio TV. Meanwhile, those in Saudi Arabia can catch the live action via beIN Asian Cup network and beIN Sports Connect and SSC.
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