Colombia
DR Congo
Group K's early leaders Colombia head to Estadio Guadalajara knowing a win sends them straight into the last 32, while DR Congo arrive off the back of a famous point against Portugal in their first World Cup appearance in 52 years. Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1 despite being made to sweat for long periods, and DR Congo will fancy doing something similar here.
Colombia — Los Cafeteros
Luis Diaz put Colombia 2-1 up against Uzbekistan in the 65th minute, and Jaminton Campaz settled things in stoppage time after a nervy spell where the debutants threatened to snatch a draw. The lineup pencilled in here has James Rodriguez operating in a flatter midfield alongside Jefferson Lerma, Gustavo Puerta and Jhon Arias, with Diaz and Luis Suarez paired together up front rather than one playing in behind the other. Nestor Lorenzo used an attacking 4-3-3 with Arias in the midfield three against Uzbekistan, and some reports have him instead pulling things back into a more familiar 4-2-3-1 with Rodriguez tucked in behind a lone Suarez, who scored 28 league goals for Sporting Lisbon last season despite drawing a blank in the opener. Either way, Diaz remains the player most likely to hurt DR Congo, given he can both create and finish.
DR Congo — The Leopards
Sebastien Desabre went with a back five against Portugal, something he's known to do from time to time, and seeing Joao Neves score inside six minutes could easily have rattled a side at their first World Cup in over five decades. Instead, DR Congo settled and matched Portugal stride for stride for the rest of the game, even missing two good chances of their own through Cedric Bakambu and Joris Kayembe late on.
The team news pencilled in here keeps Desabre's back three intact, with Axel Tuanzebe, Chancel Mbemba and Steve Kapuadi across the middle and Arthur Masuaku and Aaron Wan-Bissaka pushed up as wing-backs. Mbemba picked up a booking against Portugal and will need to be careful here to avoid missing the final group game. In behind the front two, Edo Kayembe gets the nod over Noah Sadiki as the No. 10, with Yoane Wissa, scorer of his country's first World Cup goal, partnering Bakambu up top. Some reports have Desabre going the other way entirely, reverting to a flat back four with Sadiki in midfield and Theo Bongonda wide instead.
Predicted Lineups
Key Battle
Luis Diaz vs DR Congo's wing-backs. Whichever shape Colombia line up in, Diaz cutting inside from the left is their most direct route to goal. If Masuaku gets caught too high up the pitch, Diaz has the pace and finishing to punish the space behind him, much as he did against Uzbekistan.
Prediction
DR Congo have already shown, against a far better side than this Colombia team looked at times, that they're not just there to make up the numbers. Colombia have scored two or more in three straight games and carry the bigger threat in Diaz and Suarez, but DR Congo's organisation should keep this closer than the gap in pedigree suggests.
Colombia 1–1 DR Congo — Diaz — Wissa
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