Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the World Cup 2026 qualifying match.
Both teams lost their previous matches with the same scoreline of 2:3, but the feelings about those matches are entirely different, as are the expectations for their upcoming encounter.
North Korea
The North Korean team lost by just one goal primarily due to their opponent's errors rather than a strong performance. By halftime, Iran were already leading 3:0, and in the second half, Iran's own mistakes led to a red card in the 51st minute, an own goal in the 56th, and a deflected shot that resulted in a scrappy goal. Furthermore, Iran's forward, Mehdi Taremi, also scored an own goal and missed a penalty. Such luck as they experienced in the second half is unlikely to repeat in the next game.
Uzbekistan
The Uzbekistan national team lost a draw to Qatar (2:3). In the four previous rounds, they had conceded fewer goals (2). They had real defensive issues but were equally dangerous in attack. Before Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored twice, they also hit the woodwork. Notably, he scored both goals with his head. Qatar's decisive goal came in the final attack, with the ball hitting the top corner and being unstoppable.
North Korea vs Uzbekistan Prediction
North Korea were lucky to finish with such a scoreline against Iran, whereas Uzbekistan should have at least drawn. In head-to-head meetings, Uzbekistan have won four times in a row, with the last three being clean sheets (2:0, 4:0, 1:0). We are backing a convincing victory for the visitors.
