Congo DR vs Uzbekistan Predictions

• Both teams have scored in two of DR Congo’s last three matches
• Both teams have scored in two of Uzbekistan’s last three games
• The group qualification situation forces both teams to go for it

White Wolves have slender chance of progression

DR Congo and Uzbekistan both have to win Sunday’s concluding Group K clash to stand any chance of making it through to the knockouts and that sets the game up perfectly.

Leopards’ head coach Sebastian Desabre has already described the match as “do or die” while White Wolves counterpart Fabio Cannavaro praised his side’s fighting spirit after their 5-0 defeat to Portugal on Tuesday.

That result leaves them, according to Opta, with only a seven per cent chance of making it through to the knockout stages, but they are in a better position than some other teams going into the final game.  The fact that they would need three points and a decent goal difference means they have got to go all out to overturn the -7 next to their name.

Leopards set to open the game up too

DR Congo qualified by putting numbers behind the ball and hitting opponents on the counter-attack, although that approach may have to be modified as they also need to win. They kept eight clean sheets in 13 qualifiers and held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their opener.

But the dynamics have totally changed for this clash and it should have a much greater chance for both teams to score. When DR Congo played Senegal in the key qualifier to decide which team went to the finals automatically, they were on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline.

That’s not to suggest Uzbekistan win this – African sides are 4-2 up in six clashes against Asian teams across the last two World Cups. The White Wolves scored against Colombia and rattled the crossbar late on too, so back both teams to score as the main bet.