South Korea U23 vs China U23 Asian Games Preview
A place in the final of the football event at the 2026 Asian Games is up for grabs as South Korea face China in a semi-final clash.
The Taegeuk Warriors have been perfect in the competition and will be confident of getting past their rivals.
Key Stats
- South Korea U23 have won four of their last five matches in all competitions.
- South Korea U23 have won five of their previous six matches against China U23.
- China U23 are winless in two of their last three matches.
South Korea on Top
South Korea have five wins while China have been victorious just once in six previous matches. The last meeting was a group stage clash at the 2024 Asian U23 Cup, which ended 2-0 in favour of the Koreans.
Solid Campaign for South Korea
South Korea are in the semi-final of the Asian Games after claiming a 4-0 victory over Vietnam in their previous fixture. Lee Young-Jun netted a brace while Kim Ji-Soo and Kim Myung-Jun were also on target.
That result maintains a perfect record in the competition for South Korea. Among the results so far for Lee Min-Sung's team is a 4-1 victory over Qatar in their opening fixture.
Beyond the Asian Games, South Korea's overall form has been quite solid lately. The Taegeuk Warriors have won four of their last five matches in all competitions.
China Slightly Unconvincing
China are also coming off a comfortable quarter-final victory as they eased past Thailand 3-0. A first-half own goal from Auttapon Sangtong sent them on their way while efforts from Hetao Hu and Zhang Yuning earned them all three points.
Manager Antonio Puche will be pleased with his team's campaign so far at the Asian Games. They are unbeaten in the competition and will head into the semi-final full of confidence.
While China are unbeaten in the tournament, they have not been as consistent as their rivals. They played out successive 0-0 draws with Iran and United Arab Emirates before the quarter-final victory over Thailand.
Team News & Predicted Line-ups
South Korea (4-2-3-1): Kim Jun-Hong; Choi Seok-Hyun, Kim Ji-Soo, Lee Gi-Hyuk, Bae Hyun-Seo; Kang Sang-Yoon, Kim Myung-Jun; Lee Seong-Won, Lee Hyun-Ju, Eom Ji-Sung; Lee Young-Jun.
Eom Ji-Sung was a halftime substitute for South Korea last time out and could earn a start in this one. Kim Ji-Soo is set to continue in central defence while Lee is expected to continue in attack following his brace against Vietnam.
China (4-2-3-1): Li Hao; He Yiran, Liu Haofan, Chenjie Zhu, Hetao Hu; Wu Xi, Bin Xu; Kwai Jiwen, Wang Yudong, Yuwang Xiang; Zhang Yuning.
Zhang Yuning scored off the bench last time out and could earn a start in this one. Wu Xi is set to line up in midfield while Liu Haofan and Chenjie Zhu should continue their partnership in central defence.