South Korea vs Ivory Coast Prediction: Diallo the dangerman again

South Korea meet Ivory Coast for a friendly at Stadium MK in England on Friday (14:00 GMT). Both teams are preparing for the Fifa World Cup this summer and the two sides are already in decent form. 

They will both look to continue this on Saturday and their recent performances should make for an interesting tussle. Below you will find my South Korea vs Ivory Coast predictions, including the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Hwang In-beom is missing for South Korea due to an ankle injury.

Cho Gue-sung was on the scoresheet against Bolivia back in November and his record for the Taegeuk Warriors when scoring is impressive (eight wins from nine appearances).

Son Heung-min is three goals away from equalling Cha Bum-kun's tally of 58 goals for South Korea.

Football Odds

Yan Diomande is ruled out for the Ivory Coast because of a should issue. This has presented an opportunity for Nicolas Pepe, who missed out on the Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Morocco.

Captain Franck Kessie is undefeated in all 14 of his appearances for the Elephants (W12 D2).

South Korea vs Ivory Coast Odds

The only previous meeting between these sides was another friendly back in 2010, which South Korea won 2-0. They are a 9/5 bet to prevail on Saturday.

It's 7/5 for the Ivory Coast to come out on top, as they have done in four of their last six outings.

The draw can be backed at 9/4. Three of the Elephants' past four games have featured both teams on the scoresheet, and BTTS - Yes is marketed at 5/6 here.

Today's Football Fixtures

Anytime Goalscorer - Amad Diallo @ 11/4

Amad Diallo had a very productive Afcon campaign in the winter, scoring three goals in five appearances. The winger has not been prolific when playing for Manchester United this season, but playing as a wing-back for half of it has suppressed his talents in the final third.

For his country, he is utilised as a winger and they are reaping the rewards. I named Diallo as the Ivory Coast's key player in our preview ahead of Afcon and I will give him this label again ahead of their World Cup campaign.

I like the 11/4 (implied probability of 26.7%) price for him to find the net on Saturday.

Match Result - Draw @ 9/4

This match pits two teams against one another who are both documented for being well-organised. The two sides have also been in good form of late so I think we could see them cancel each other out in Milton Keynes.

South Korea are unbeaten in five, while the Ivory Coast have suffered just one defeat from their past six outings.

The draw looks a good bet at 9/4 as both teams have a lot of quality in the final third, as well as resilient defenders. This could end up being played like a chess match and the stalemate looks likely.

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