North Korea vs Uzbekistan

Kingdom Arena, and a hard match to prepare for

The second matchday takes Group B back to Riyadh and to Kingdom Arena, a 26 000 venue and the newest of the five grounds the capital is using. Uzbekistan will have played one match by then; North Korea will have played one too, and neither result tells you much about this fixture.

That is the recurring problem with North Korea at tournaments. They play little international football that anyone watches, arrive without a body of recent evidence, and are therefore prepared for from a distance. In 1980 that produced a semi-final on debut. In most editions since it has produced an early exit.

Uzbekistan should be favourites, and being favourites against this opponent has gone badly for better sides. A win here would put them in a strong position going into the final round in Jeddah.

The two records

This is a sixth Asian Cup for North Korea, whose best finish is fourth place (1980), against a ninth for Uzbekistan, best fourth place (2011).