Wales vs Korea Republic

Cardiff City Stadium is the venue as Wales and Korea Republic lock horns in their first-ever international friendly

Wales’ bid to reach the European Championship finals for the third time on the trot has fallen off the rails after back-to-back two-goal margin defeats to Turkey and Armenia overshadowed their two-match unbeaten start to their qualifying campaign (W1, D1). The upcoming home friendly against South Korea could be a welcoming distraction for Rob Page’s side, yet a poor return of one win from their last five home internationals (D1, L3) doesn’t inspire much confidence. Scoring problems have tormented Wales since their underwhelming 2022 World Cup group-stage exit, with the ‘Dragons’ netting under 1.5 goals in three of their four post-tournament matches (W1, D1, L2).

On the other hand, South Korea’s decision to part ways with long-serving manager Paulo Bento in the wake of a premature 2022 World Cup elimination has proved a massive failure. New boss Jurgen Klinsmann has gone winless in all four internationals in charge of the’ Taegeuk Warriors’ (D2, L2). Three of Klinsmann’s four games at the helm have seen both teams on the scoresheet, suggesting an open-ended contest could be on the cards. But with South Korea going seven straight games without a clean sheet, their attack may need to step up to the plate if the German tactician is to post his maiden win and avoid further scrutiny.