- Czech Republic have won seven of their last ten matches, drawing two and losing only once (W7, D2, L1). Republic of Korea have won six of their last ten (D1, L3) and won three and lost two of their last five (W3, L2). Koubek has made the Czech Republic tactically disciplined and resilient. Korea have scored 11 goals and won five of their last seven home matches.
Red-hot Czech Republic will test Korea’s system
Czech Republic, back on the global stage after missing out on the 2022 edition, have hit a red-hot streak coming into this crucial Group A fixture against a Republic of Korea side who have impressed in their own recent outings. Miroslav Koubek's side have won five straight, including comfortable 2-1 and 3-1 victories over Kosovo and Guatemala at home during Friendly International Matches 2026, the more recent result coming after Korea's recent victories over Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador.
Czechia are a compact, pragmatic 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1 side when in possession, who get their best chances to hit teams on the break when they sit in a narrow, physical block and force the action wide. Schick is the focal point of the attack, which means there's always a target in the box and if you don't keep him in check, he will punish you with his clinical finishing and aerial ability. Adam Hlozek offers youthful dynamism and versatility from behind Schick, while Tomas Soucek is the perfect box-to-box central midfielder to give the side the set-piece threat they need to break a game open and the defensive toughness to cover against the counter attack.
Republic of Korea's 3-4-3 is a much more bold and expansive system - one which Myung-Bo Hong has developed since taking the helm in July 2024. The system seeks to stretch the opposition by keeping three at the back and playing two wing-backs, while it also provides plenty of space for Son Heung-min to operate and allows Hong's side to play direct balls over the top to their star striker, which can be deadly on the transition.
Odds suggest very tight contest with Korea just underdog
The odds for this game all suggest a very tight clash, with Czech Republic coming into the game as slight favourites at 2.83, Republic of Korea are 2.76 and the draw is 3.16. With the game featuring two very different styles, it will be interesting to see how the Korean 3-4-3 fares in this match and whether Koubek's tactical prowess can find a way to counter it.
With the Czechs on a five-game winning run, they are rightly favourites, but Korea have won three of their last four home games and won their most recent two, dispatching Trinidad And Tobago 5-0 and El Salvador 1-0 during Friendly International Matches 2026, so the Asian side could certainly pull a result out of the bag.
We think the Czech's have a little more quality and will be the more motivated team here, so we are going for a Czech win, albeit by a very slender margin. With BTTS-NO and BTTS-YES both 1.86, the bookies aren't expecting too much action, so we are supporting 'Under 2.5 goals' at 1.67 as the main selection in this game, which could be another cagey clash featuring two of Europe's best midfielders in Soucek and Lee Kang-in, who can be the catalyst for a goalscoring chance on the edge of the box.
