Sport
Preview: South Korea vs. Singapore – prediction, team news, lineups
Sports Mole previews Thursday’s World Cup Qualifying – Asia clash between South Korea and Singapore, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
South Korea play host to Singapore on Thursday looking to make a positive start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
While Singapore will be pleased to have come through a first-round tie, being drawn with their upcoming opponents, China and Thailand leaves them as underdogs in Group C....Click Here To Continue Reading>>
Match preview
© Reuters
Since losing 4-1 to Brazil in the World Cup last 16 at the end of last year, things have been far from plain sailing for South Korea.
A five-match winless streak in friendly internationals followed that tournament, the Taegeuk Warriors failing to defeat the likes of Peru and El Salvador.
However, Jurgen Klinsmann is finally starting to see some progress from his players, recording three successive victories since the middle of September.
Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Vietnam have each been defeated with clean sheets recorded in the process, the last outing ending in a 6-0 scoreline.
Klinsmann’s team are now on a five-match undefeated streak ahead of a run of competitive encounters through the World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Cup.
From Singapore’s perspective, they enter this phase of qualifying on a high having overcome Guan in the first round, prevailing 3-1 on aggregate.
They are now on a three-match winning streak and have lost just once in their last eight outings, that defeat coming at home to Tajikistan.
The Lions have already won as many games in this qualifying campaign as they did in the 2022 equivalent, and Takayuki Nishigaya will at least want to better that in what is a tough group.
These two nations have not squared off for more than 30 years, Singapore having lost the most recent 10 contests between the sides.
South Korea form (all competitions):
Singapore World Cup Qualifying – Asia form:
Singapore form (all competitions):
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Team News
© Reuters
Klinsmann could name much of the side that started the friendly against Tunisia with the added bonus of Son Heung-min leading the attack.
The fitness of the European players will be assessed, particularly if they played on Sunday, but Klinsmann may look to go strong and rest players if a suitable scenario arises.
Kim Min-jae and Hwang Hee-chan – both in form for Bayern Munich and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively – should each start in central defence and on the left flank respectively.
Nishigaya may see no reason to change his Singapore starting lineup after they posted 2-1 and 1-0 wins over Guam.
However, the introduction of defensive-minded veteran Shahdan Sulaiman into the midfield cannot be ruled out, potentially forming a three-man midfield and one of the attacking trio from the last fixture dropping out.
South Korea possible starting lineup:Kim Seong-Gyu; Seol, Kim Min-Jae, Jung, Lee-Ki; Hong, Park; Lee Jae-Sung, Lee Kang-In, Hwang; Son
Singapore possible starting lineup:Sunny; Kumar, Tan, Mahler; Suzliman, Harun, Shahiran, Van Huizen; Syahin, Fandi, Song
We say: South Korea 3-0 Singapore
While South Korea may be thinking about the trip to China, they must first take care of business here. Regardless of the strength of team that they field, the home side should have more than enough quality in their ranks to cruise to victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data
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Twenty-year-old Serbian sixth seed Hamad Medjedovic is crowned the Next Gen ATP Finals champion with a captivating victory over Arthur Fils in Sunday’s final.
Twenty-year-old Serbian sixth seed Hamad Medjedovic was crowned the Next Gen ATP Finals champion with a captivating victory over Arthur Fils in Sunday’s final.
Emulating the feats of his compatriot Novak Djokovic in November’s ATP Finals, Medjedovic brought home another trophy to Serbia with a 3–4[6], 4–1, 4–2, 3–4 [9], 4–1 victory in just after two hours.
Medjedovic’s success caps off a stellar breakthrough year for the 2003-born protege, who reached the first round of Wimbledon and the French Open for the first time in 2023 and came close to breaking into the top 100, getting as high as world number 102 in October....Click Here To Continue Reading>>
“I can’t believe I have won this title, but it’s going to give me a lot of confidence for 2024. Arthur is an amazing player; he’s Top 40 for a reason, so I’m really happy,” Medjedovic said on the court.
“It was tough after the first set. I changed my clothes and recovered and started to play good again. I didn’t play good when I had match points in the fourth set. I wasn’t relaxed, I was very stiff. Thank God I recovered and I was just trying to stay relaxed as much as I could and I managed to do it in the end.”
2023 ATP Finals Champion: Novak Djokovic 🇷🇸2023 Next Gen ATP Finals Champion: Hamad Medjedovic 🇷🇸Learning from the best 👀 pic.twitter.com/ie284rcZ3M— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) December 2, 2023
Making a name for himself throughout the tournament with his blistering serves, the Serbian fired 19 aces past Fils throughout the contest and won 88% of points behind his first serve in total.
Medjedovic also kept his mistakes to a minimum, only producing nine unforced errors and 32 winners, as well as saving all four break points he faced against his French foe.
The 20-year-old recovered from a couple of early unforced errors in the fourth-set tie-breaker to bring up two match points, although he failed to take either of them as Fils took the contest to the distance.
However, an inopportune unforced error from Fils on break point allowed Medjedovic to establish an early two-game lead in the fifth set, and the Serbian quintessentially confirmed his champion status with an ace on match point.
Alongside his Next Gen supremacy, Medjedovic also took home three Challenger level titles in the 2023 season, as well as getting to the semi-finals of the Astana Open and Swiss Open on the ATP Tour.
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Sports Mole rounds up all of the latest injury and suspension news ahead of Sunday’s La Liga clash between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona will be aiming to return to winning ways in La Liga when they host Atletico Madrid on Sunday night.
Xavi’s side are currently fourth in the table, level on points (31) with third-placed Atletico ahead of this weekend’s huge fixture, and here Sports Mole rounds up the team news....Click Here To Continue Reading>>
© Reuters
BARCELONA
Out: Gavi (knee), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (back)
Doubtful: None
Sports Mole’s predicted XI: Pena; Araujo, Kounde, I Martinez, Cancelo; Pedri, Gundogan, De Jong; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Felix
ATLETICO MADRID
Out: Pablo Barrios (knee), Thomas Lemar (Achilles), Vitolo (knee)
Doubtful: None
Sports Mole’s predicted XI: Oblak; Gimenez, Witsel, Hermoso; Molina, De Paul, Saul, Koke, Riquelme; Morata, Griezmann
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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Dwight McNeil’s thunderous strike secured Everton three points as The Toffees claimed a crucial 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest at City Ground this evening.
Dwight McNeil’s thunderous strike secured Everton three points as The Toffees claimed a crucial 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest at City Ground this evening.
Dwight McNeil’s thunderous strike secured Everton three points as The Toffees claimed a crucial 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest at City Ground this evening.
Steve Cooper made four alterations from the side he fielded against Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, with Willy Boly, Serge Aurier, Ibrahim Sangare and Ryan Yates all coming into the side. ...Click Here To Continue Reading>>
Sean Dyche was forced into one alteration from the team that lost to Manchester United last week with Dominic Calvert-Lewin left out through injury, allowing Beto to make the starting 11.
Notably, the pink protest cards were out in force by the Everton faithful again this week.
There was little to choose between the sides during the opening exchanges, though Anthony Elanga looked like the most dangerous player on the pitch over the first 20 minutes, with Ashley Young struggling to keep up with the 21-year-old.
However, the first big chance of the match fell the way of The Toffees when Odysseas Vlachodimos dropped a high ball into the box that fell at the feet of Beto, but the forward skied his first-time effort over the bar from roughly 12 yards out.
Forest had their first real sight of goal at the half-hour mark, with Elanga getting on the end of a cross into the box, but the forward was unable to guide the ball inside the far post with his attempt.
The best chance of the first half went the way of the visitors when Abdoulaye Doucoure played in Dwight McNeil, who put his shot past Vlachodimos, but Murillo got back on the line and cleared the ball to safety off the face of the upright.
It was all square at the interval, but Everton should probably have been in the lead with two big chances wasted.
Forest made a bright start to the second half and almost got the opening goal with a shot from Felipe that struck the woodwork.
Amid the tussle in the box during that attempt, Doucoure looked to have pulled Yates to the ground, which the referee waved on, and after a VAR review, the video assistants decided there was not enough evidence to overturn the onfield decision.
Unfortunately for Forest, their frustrations were compounded 10 minutes later as Beto miscued a header in the opposing box that fell to McNeil, who lashed a powerful shot into the top corner to give The Toffees the lead.
Elanga almost pulled his side level twice in the final 10 minutes but saw his first attempt smothered by Jordan Pickford, while his second went just wide of the far post from a snap shot.
Everton parked the bus in stoppage time and saw the game out for a big three points.
Forest will head to Craven Cottage in midweek to take on Fulham while Everton will welcome Newcastle United to Goodison Park on Thursday night.
More to follow.
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