Saudi Arabia returns to Education City Stadium on Tuesday to face the Korean Republic in the Round of 16.
It is the clash of the Titans between two tournament favourites and a managerial face-off between two legends of the European game, Roberto Mancini and Jurgen Klinsmann.
“If you want to go through in this competition, you have to play against the best teams.
“Whether it is in the Round of 16, quarter-finals or semi-finals, you have to face teams like Japan, Korea Republic, IR Iran or Australia.
This is the way and if we want to win, we must beat them. Now our concentration is about Korea, then we will see what happens,” Mancini said.
South Korea, the third-highest ranked AFC side at No. 23, finished as the runner-up in Group E with five points from a win and two draws, while Saudi Arabia, No. 56, won Group F with seven points, thanks to two wins and a draw.
South Korea has had five wins, eight draws and five losses against Saudi Arabia.
ALSO READ: Saudi Arabia advances to AFC Asian Cup knockout stages with convincing victory over Kyrgyzstan
Their most recent meeting came in September last year in a friendly in Wales, where South Korea prevailed 1-0 on a goal by Cho Gue-sung.
It was South Korea’s first victory under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann in his sixth match.
Saudi Arabia is one of the most successful teams in the history of the Asian Cup, with three titles, while South Korea is chasing their first Asian Cup crown in 64 years.
Defending champions and hosts Qatar will tonight confront a resolute Palestine side as the AFC Asian Cup Round of 16 draw was finalized following the conclusion of group stage.
On Tuesday, Mancini can do something no Saudi boss has done since 2007, win a knockout stage encounter at the Asian Cup.
Since upsetting the future World Cup champions Argentina in their opening game in Qatar 2022, Saudi Arabia have lost nine of their last 10 games in all.
ALSO READ: History beckons for Saudi Arabia’s Green Falcons in Qatar
competitions when conceding the opening goal, with another victory in their opening match at this tournament versus Oman (2-1).
The Green Falcons have not won a match against the Koreans since a 2005 World Cup qualifier (1-0), though they emerged victorious the last time these two sides faced each other in the knockout stage of this tournament in the 2000 semi-finals (2-1).
The two head coaches, born in 1964 and of the same age and played active roles as strikers, once stood together on the Italian Serie A stage.
When Coach Klinsmann joined Inter Milan for its first overseas expansion in 1989, he competed with Coach Mancini, who was at Sampdoria for three seasons.
During this period, Coach Klinsmann scored 34 goals in the league, and Mancini scored 29.
Looking at his entire career, Coach Klinsmann, who won the Italian 1990 World Cup and the 1996 European Football Championship (Euro 1996), has an advantage over Coach Mancini, who has not won a major trophy.
