China might have qualified for the latest round of the 2018 World Cup Asian qualifiers by the skin of their teeth, but they will need more than luck and fortune if they are to make it to Russia. The first hurdle in their way is a considerably big one, in the shape of Asian heavyweights South Korea in Seoul.
The Chinese only made it to this round, after a stunning win over Qatar and a big upset by the Philippines, who beat North Korea right at the end, allowed them to qualify as one of the best runners-up.
Now that the qualification is done, China, who have been drawn in Group A with Iran, South Korea, Qatar, Syria and Uzbekistan, will want to show they are not here just to make up the numbers. However, they could not have asked for a more difficult first match, with South Korea primed to get their World Cup qualifying campaign off to a flier.
China will bank on the away support, of which 30,000 strong are expected, to help them through, and if they can create an early chance or two, and convert them into a goal, an upset could be on the cards.
"We have a good squad this time," China striker Gao Lin told FIFA.com. "The chemistry within the team is nice and our players are in good shape.
"Coach Gao [Hongbo] knows the players quite well and the team are getting better under his guidance. The World Cup qualifying tournament is a great chance for us to prove ourselves. We should grasp this opportunity and try to live up to expectations."
On paper, however, South Korea, who have lost just two of the 34 matches played against China, winning 19 of them, are the far superior team, boasting of players in Europe, including Son Heung-min of Tottenham and Swansea's Ki Sung-yueng, and the only thing that could trip them up is complacency.
"I would like to say that the level of the Chinese Super League is good," Hong Jeongho, who recently made a move to Jiangsu Suning from Bundesliga club Augsburg, told FIFA's official website. "The Chinese players proved to be good when I played against them.
"This is something beyond my expectations. No team is easy in this qualifying stage. After all, these are Asia's top 12 teams. We should prepare ourselves carefully and work hard for each game."
Where to Watch Live
South Korea vs China is scheduled for an 8 p.m. local time (4.30 p.m. IST) start. Live Streaming and TV information is below.
India: No live coverage.
China and Hong Kong: TV: CCTV and LeTV.
South Korea: TV: JTBC.
USA: TV: ESPN 3. Live Streaming: Watch ESPN.
Middle East and North Africa: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
