South Korea arrive off an AFC qualifying campaign where they averaged roughly **2.1 xG and 1.9 goals per game while conceding under 0.7 xG**, with Cho Gue-Sung and Oh Hyeon-Gyu combining for double‑digit qualifying goals as Yang Hyun-Jun added pace and chance creation from wide areas. They are expected to line up in an intense **4‑2‑3‑1/3‑4‑3 hybrid press**, posting top‑tier high‑turnover numbers in Asia and funnelling attacks into half‑spaces, against a Czech side that played a more direct **3‑4‑3/3‑5‑2** through UEFA qualifying, where they generated a smaller but efficient attacking output built around **Patrik Schick’s ~0.5–0.6 non‑pen xG per 90** and Tomás Soucek’s late-box runs plus set‑piece threat. The decisive matchups skew towards: **Cho vs. Czech CBs on rest defence**, with Cho running at ~0.45–0.50 xG+xA per 90 for club and country and South Korea creating multiple cut‑backs per game, versus Schick attacking crosses and Pavel Sulc carrying a combined **0.40+ xG+xA per 90** as the between‑lines connector; in midfield, Soucek’s aerial win rate (often above 60% in qualifiers and league play) has to neutralize Korea’s second‑ball pressing and vertical passing. Set pieces are a major Czech edge after they scored **a qualifying‑high 11 goals from set plays in UEFA** and routinely loaded far‑post zones, while Korea conceded a disproportionate share of their xG against from dead balls but created fewer than one set‑piece shot on target per game. Historically, they are almost level with **one win each and one draw in three friendlies, including Korea’s 2‑1 away win in 2016**, so with markets pricing it roughly 36–32–33, the data points to a marginally Korea‑favoured coin flip where the statistical swing factors are: whether Korea convert high‑press turnovers into 1–2 big chances, whether they can survive Czech aerial bombardment (first‑contact and second‑ball loss rates), and which of **Cho/Oh vs. Schick/Soucek** wins the expected goals battle inside the box.