- DR Congo have won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five in all competitions.
- Uzbekistan have lost their last three games, winning two and losing three of their last five.
- Uzbekistan have failed to win or draw their last two away games.
Stalemate likely at Atlanta Stadium
Second-placed DR Congo (1 point) face fourth-placed Uzbekistan (0 points) in a must-not-lose game in Group K at the FIFA World Cup on Saturday.
The Leopards have drawn 0-0 in Denmark, lost 1-2 at home to Chile and held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their World Cup group opener, which suggests their group status could be on the line after this encounter with the Central Asians. Uzbekistan have lost to Canada (2-0), the Netherlands (2-1) and Colombia (3-1) in their opening three games, leaving them in the group's basement.
The match will test the ability of both coaches to adapt and make tactical changes to improve their teams' chances of qualifying. DR Congo's Sébastien Desabre has done a decent job since taking over as coach in August 2022. He has built a team that is direct, physical and capable of playing a number of systems in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, but they can be ruthless on the break and compact in defence.
Desabre has got the Leopards going forward
Fabio Cannavaro has the Uzbekistan team playing a more disciplined, defensive style of football - with a mid-block structure rather than possession-based play - that is less likely to break down when out of possession. But results haven't flowed from his structured set-up as yet, leaving the debutants struggling to get their first World Cup win.
This game is a clash between Desabre's transitional, risk-taking attacking game and Cannavaro's pragmatic, organisation-first approach. It may well be a stalemate, but we think DR Congo have the greater attacking threat in Yoane Wissa (1 goal in 1 World Cup game) and Arthur Masuaku, who was a big influence when he was on the pitch in the opener with his assist and should have scored from close range.
Both teams to score - No is the selection at 87/100 and could well be the best bet in this game. But we are taking the favoured Leopards, who are a slight favourite at 107/100, to nick a goal and edge a cagey game in Atlanta with Uzbekistan coming in at 49/20.
Masuaku can help Leopards to win
Abbosbek Fayzullayev is the top scorer in the World Cup group stage for Uzbekistan with one goal in one game and is a more than capable of adding to that tally. But Masuaku's influence on a game is just as likely to ensure DR Congo come out on top and send DR Congo through to the next round.
Uzbekistan, who are in their tournament debut, will be desperate to avoid going home empty-handed, but we see DR Congo having the quality to hold on to their place in Group K by edging this contest.
