- Republic of Korea have won 6, drawn 1 and lost 3 of their last 10 matches in all competitions, a decent but not dominant record.
- Czech Republic are on an exceptional run of 7 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat in their last 10 in all competitions, a 5-game winning streak under Miroslav Koubek.
- At home, however, South Korea have won 3 of their last 5, including back-to-back wins against Trinidad And Tobago (5-0) and El Salvador (1-0) in Friendly International Matches 2026.
Tactical clash of styles for World Cup opener
Republic of Korea will go head-to-head with Czech Republic in what promises to be a fascinating tactical duel in the opening round of Group A fixtures in the 2026 World Cup on Friday.
Myung-Bo Hong's men have been playing a high-tempo, vertical 3-4-3 system since his appointment as head coach in July 2024, stretching the width of the field with two wing-backs and using the pace and directness of Son Heung-min to hurt opponents on the counter.
Czech Republic, on the other hand, have been much more pragmatic and disciplined since Miroslav Koubek's appointment in December 2025, adopting a 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1 system that is compact and strong in central areas.
Czech Republic have a slight edge
Czechia will look to block up the centre of the park and break quickly on the wings, where the quick counters through Patrik Schick can make them dangerous on the break. Czechia will hope that the aerial threat and clinical finishing of Schick can see them hit the back of the net.
Korea's wide, transition-heavy system can be vulnerable to the counter, so this will be a real test for Hong's tactical experiment, with Czechia getting a much-needed return to the global stage.
Both teams unlikely to score
'Both teams to score - No' and 'Yes' are the same price at 43/50 for this game, which tells you that the bookies are expecting a cagey affair. 'Under 2.5 goals' is 67/100, so that looks the most likely outcome for this tight encounter. Czech Republic have won 5 games in a row, beating Kosovo (2-1) and Guatemala (3-1) in their most recent Friendly International Matches in 2026, but South Korea have a good home record (5 wins from their last 7) and netted 11 goals in that run.
Korea can cause the Czechs problems
Czechia have only played 2 games away from home recently, winning 1 and conceding only 2, so they clearly have an organised and hard-to-break down side on the road.
That is why they are narrow favourites for this match-up at 183/100, but Korea are a serious opponent and are available at 44/25, with the draw at 54/25 also a big number.
South Korea can beat the Czechs if Son can get some joy on the turn and Lee Kang-in has the technical ability to unlock a defence in a single moment of magic. But Czechia have the firepower up front in Schick, the all-action energy and set-piece threat in Tomas Soucek and the youthful dynamism and versatility in Adam Hlozek to take the game to their opponent.
Republic of Korea will win the match-up on the flanks and in the air, but they may be vulnerable to the Czech counter. Kim Min-jae is a commanding centre-half but will be up against a clinical finisher in Schick, who can win this game on his own.
Czechia can win this if they stay compact and organised, but the South Koreans have the offensive firepower to win it too.
