
Colombia faces DR Congo with round-of-16 spot on the line in Guadalajara
A win secures Colombia's place in the knockout stage, but the Leopards are buoyed by their draw against Portugal.
High stakes in Group K
Colombia takes on DR Congo at Estadio Akron in Zapopan on 24 June, a match that can send the Cafeteros into the round of 16. A victory would guarantee qualification from Group K, and if Portugal fails to beat Uzbekistan, Colombia would also lock up first place. The South Americans opened with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, but that scoreline masked a difficult second half.
Colombia's attacking engine
Luis Diaz scored and assisted against Uzbekistan, earning man-of-the-match honours. The Bayern Munich forward is expected to lead the line again, while captain James Rodriguez will look to impose himself after a quiet opening game. Coach Nestor Lorenzo is wary of the Congolese challenge.
It will be a very difficult match for us.
Congo's historic return
DR Congo secured a 1-1 draw with Portugal in their first World Cup match in over half a century (the country last appeared in 1974 as Zaire). Yoane Wissa scored the nation's first goal of the tournament, and Sébastien Desabre's side showed defensive discipline and dangerous counter-attacks against one of the tournament favourites.
Permutations
The Leopards need a positive result to stay in the qualification race. A win would lift them above Colombia, while another draw would keep them in contention ahead of the final group match. The Cafeteros, on the other hand, can clinch progression with a game to spare.
- Colombia
- 3 pts
- Portugal
- 1 pts
- DR Congo
- 1 pts
- Uzbekistan
- 0 pts


