France U20 vs Korea Republic U20 Prediction and Betting Tips
France U20 and Korea Republic U20 will battle for three points in a 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup Group F fixture on Monday (May 22).
Les Bleus are competing in their 13th FIFA U-20 World Cup. They booked their spot in the 2023 edition, courtesy of their semifinal appearance in the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.
France have not been in action since a 1-1 draw against England in a friendly in March. Bashir Humphreys' tenth-minute opener for England was cancelled out by Alan Virginius just before half-time.
Korea Republic, meanwhile, are appearing in their 16th U-20 World Cup, which is the third-most in history. They secured qualification for the 2023 edition, courtesy of their semifinal appearance in the 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup.
Gambia and Honduras complete the quartet of teams in Group F, other than France and South Korea.
France U20 vs Korea Republic U20 Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two sides have met five times pret. France were victorious on four previous occasions, while one game ended in a draw.
- Their most recent clash in a friendly in March 2019 saw Moussa Diaby's hat-trick inspiring France to a 3-1 win.
- Korea Republic's best performance at the U-20 World Cup was in the last edition when they finished runners-up to Ukraine.
- France are one-time winners of the competition, with Paul Pogba inspiring his nation to victory in 2013.
- Four of their last five meetings have had goals at both ends.
- Four of Korea's last five games have seen one side fail to score.
France U20 vs Korea Republic U20 Prediction
France are favourites to finish atop Group F, so a positive result in their first game will boost their confidence for the rest of the tournament.
Korea, meanwhile, did not live up to expectations at the Asian U-20 Cup, but their second-placed finish at the last U-20 World Cup could serve as inspiration for Kim Eun-jung's side.
The Koreans are likely to play compactly to try and minimise France's attacking threat while attempting to hit them on the counter. Nevertheless, France should claim a narrow win with goals to be scored at both ends.
Prediction: France 2-1 Korea Republic
