Colombia will look to secure their place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 when they take on DR Congo at Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico. After opening Group K with a convincing victory, Néstor Lorenzo’s side know that another three points could guarantee their progression with a game to spare.

Colombia Carry Momentum into Crucial Clash

Los Cafeteros made an impressive start to their World Cup campaign, defeating Uzbekistan 3-1 to become the only winning side in Group K on matchday one. The result continued a strong run of form that has seen Colombia lose just two of their last 14 matches, recording eight wins and four draws during that period.

A victory against DR Congo would see Colombia qualify for the knockout stages for the third consecutive World Cup appearance, underlining the progress they have made on the global stage. After exiting at the group stage in three of their first four World Cup participations, Colombia have become a far more consistent tournament team, winning six of their last seven World Cup group-stage matches.

Their display against Uzbekistan was both composed and clinical, and they will be confident of building on that performance against African opposition.

DR Congo Chasing Historic Qualification Dream

DR Congo produced a spirited performance in their opening fixture against Portugal, recovering from an early setback to earn a valuable 1-1 draw. Yoane Wissa’s equaliser shortly before half-time secured the Leopards’ first-ever World Cup goal and first-ever World Cup point.

The result represented a significant milestone for a nation whose only previous World Cup appearance came in 1974 as Zaire, when they lost all three matches without scoring.

Sébastien Desabre’s men arrive with confidence, having suffered just two defeats in their last 14 matches while recording nine victories and three draws. Another positive result here would leave qualification firmly within their grasp ahead of a final group-stage encounter with Uzbekistan.

Head-to-Head Record

This will be the first-ever meeting between Colombia and DR Congo.

Colombia have enjoyed recent success against African opposition at the World Cup, winning each of their last three such encounters. DR Congo’s most recent match against South American opposition ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat to Chile earlier this month.

Key Statistics

• Four of Colombia’s last five matches have seen both teams score.
• Colombia have scored in each of their last ten World Cup matches, the joint-longest active scoring run in the tournament after matchday one.
• Only two of DR Congo’s last 14 matches have produced over 2.5 goals.
• The half-time result has been replicated at full-time in ten of DR Congo’s last 11 fixtures.

Players to Watch

Jaminton Campaz continued his fine form by scoring Colombia’s third goal against Uzbekistan. Both of his international goals and each of his last four club goals have arrived after half-time, making him a player to watch in the latter stages of the contest.

For DR Congo, Yoane Wissa remains their biggest attacking threat. His equaliser against Portugal means he has now lost only one of the nine international matches in which he has scored, with DR Congo recording four wins and four draws in the others.

Team News

Both sides appear to have emerged from their opening fixtures without any fresh injury concerns, giving their managers a full complement of players to choose from.

Betting Angle

Colombia looked one of the most polished teams on matchday one, displaying quality in both attack and midfield. Given their recent form and superior tournament experience, backing Colombia to win with over 1.5 total goals in the match looks an appealing option.

Prediction

DR Congo have proven difficult to beat in recent months and should provide stubborn resistance, but Colombia’s quality, confidence and attacking threat are likely to make the difference.

Prediction: Colombia 2-0 DR Congo