For the first time since 2000, Saudi Arabia and South Korea will meet in the Asian Cup knockout stage, with their round of 16 fixture taking place on Tuesday at Education City Stadium.
The Green Falcons topped Group F with a 0-0 draw versus Thailand, while Korea wound up second in Group E after a wild 3-3 draw with Malaysia.
In the opening phase, we saw the Saudis pick up where they left off before the Asian Cup began, going unbeaten in the group portion of this tournament for the first time since 2007, while extending their undefeated run to eight matches in all competitions.
It is also the first time since 2007 that they have finished top of their Asian Cup group, with the one goal against them in the opening round being the only one they have conceded on their current unbeaten run.
Their impressive defensive work in the opening round is no surprise given the reputation of manager Roberto Mancini, who has often said publicly that he prefers 1-0 results to victories with plenty of goals.
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