If the Brazil vs South Korea match is billed as a friendly, the argument most bettors will have among themselves is the number of goals the Selecao Canarinho will win by. But this is the 2022 FIFA World Cup we’re talking about! Even the most seasoned tipster will find it hard to give the win to Brazil without recognizing the possibility of another incredible upset from the Taegeuk Warriors.
This Round-of-16 bout between the heavy favorites and the formidable underdogs has the makings of an unforgettable classic. This piece will look at the two sides, how both will fare, and what the odds at OKBet are saying about the possible outcome.
Brazil: Injuries May Bite the Canarinho
Everyone and their mother who watch the World Cup knows that Brazil are heavy favorites to win the entire competition. However, their injury situation may leave behind weaknesses for Paulo Bento and his Taegeuk Warriors to attack.
The most significant question mark for every Brazil fan is Neymar’s condition. Unfortunately, he injured his ankle at the end of their 2-0 Group G win over Serbia and has been sidelined since then. Brazil secured their ticket to the knockout stages courtesy of Casemiro’s 83rd-minute winner over Switzerland.
Neymar expressed his intentions to play against South Korea, which may cause fans to sigh in relief. Brazil manager Tite would also like his star man back, as his eight goals during the South American qualifiers attest to his quality for the national team.
The PSG forward is one of many men currently missing from the squad. They will be vulnerable at fullback after Alex Telles suffered a knock during their loss to Cameroon. Danilo and Alex Sandro are also questionable to play. Telles and Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus are ruled out for the remainder of the competition.
Fortunately, they have a breadth of attacking talent to choose from. Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, and Gabriel Martinelli are some of the names Tite can count on for goals should Neymar fail his fitness tests before kick-off.
South Korea: Building on an Impressive Group Stage Performance
The other side of the Brazil vs South Korea game also paints an interesting picture. Outside of the loyal Korean fanbase, only a few saw the Taegeuk Warriors making it out of a group that featured Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Uruguay’s Luis Suarez.
They suffered a crushing defeat to Ghana after a solid draw against La Celeste, which set up a difficult win-or-go-home match against the Seleção das Quinas. They made it out of the group stages after a dramatic finish with Tottenham’s Son Heung-min at the center of the action.
Bento needs his star winger to pull off more tricks from his hat against a side with players that can score with their eyes closed. The defense—led by Kim Min-jae and Kim Moon-hwan—must hold the line against any attacks Brazil would send their way. While Brazil’s attack looked manageable after only scoring three games in the group stages, they can easily score if the Korea Republic backline isn’t careful.
Their strikers are also in for a rough night. Regardless of whoever between Ederson and Alisson steps in between the sticks, Brazil have a talented goalkeeping squad that will test every fiber of their being.
Brazil vs South Korea Predictions
Some will dismiss this match as easy to predict. Given the wealth of talent Tite commands, they can easily overwhelm the Korean defense and end the game with at least a 2-0 result. This is without even putting Neymar into consideration.
Given how strong Neymar is playing for Brazil and PSG, it’s not hard to imagine that he’ll dominate against a side many deem inferior. He’ll likely score a goal and supply an assist to Raphinha or Vinicius Junior.
However, South Korea came through a tough group with household names. They are more than ready to hold the line and make the Canarinho as uncomfortable as possible throughout the 90 minutes.
Like Neymar, Son Heung-min can easily blaze his way through Brazil’s defense and supply a goal for the Taegeuk Warriors. Should everything go Korea’s way, they’ll kick penalties after finishing extra time with a 1-1 score.
Brazil vs South Korea Betting Odds
The tipsters at OKBet are giving Brazil great odds of beating South Korea and possibly facing Croatia in the quarterfinals. The 1X2 odds have the Canarinho at 1.25, while the Taegeuk Warriors are at a tempting 10.50.
1X2 | Handicap | Over/Under Goals — 2.5 |
Brazil = 1.25 | Brazil -1.5 = 1.87 | Over = 1.83 |
South Korea = 10.50 | South Korea +1.5 = 2.05 | Under = 2.07 |
Draw = 5.30 |
The handicap market also paints a grim picture for Korean fans. The Taegeuk Warriors got a +1.5 boost at 2.05 odds. However, daring bettors should consider Korea’s red-hot form Korea before finalizing their wagers.
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