Colombia will aim to secure early qualification for the Round of 32 when they face DR Congo on Tuesday after opening their World Cup campaign with victory over Uzbekistan.
Nestor Lorenzo’s side began Group K with a 3-1 win, although defensive lapses in the second half exposed areas of concern that the South Americans will be keen to address ahead of their next outing.
A second successive victory would guarantee Colombia’s place in the knockout stage and could secure top spot in the group if Portugal fail to overcome Uzbekistan.
The pressure will again fall on Bayern Munich forward Luis Diaz, who delivered a goal and an assist against Uzbekistan and was named player of the match after spearheading Colombia’s attack.
Lorenzo will also hope for a greater influence from captain James Rodriguez, who played a quieter role in the opening victory as Colombia often relied on Diaz’s pace and direct running to break down their opponents.
DR Congo arrive with confidence after earning a surprise 1-1 draw against Portugal in their first World Cup match for more than half a century, having last appeared at the tournament as Zaire in 1974.
Yoane Wissa scored the country’s first World Cup goal, while coach Sebastien Desabre’s side impressed with their defensive discipline and ability to launch quick counter-attacks against one of the tournament favourites.
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The Congolese will likely adopt a similarly compact approach against Colombia, whose attacking quality presents a different challenge but whose defensive lapses against Uzbekistan may offer encouragement. Lorenzo cautioned after the opening win that DR Congo’s direct style would pose a distinct test.
“Congo play more in transition, with long balls and quick breaks. It’s going to be a very difficult match for us,” he said.
The Argentine coach also said Colombia’s possession dominance against the Asians occasionally worked against them, with his side still needing to be more clinical in the final third.
“At times our excess possession made us go backwards and nobody finished the move. We lacked a bit of that,” Lorenzo said.
Colombia are also expected to draw on strong support in the stands after thousands of fans in yellow transformed Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca into a home away from home during their opener.
With their tournament base in Guadalajara, Lorenzo’s side are likely to be backed by another large Colombian contingent as they seek a more complete performance against opponents who havealready shown they are capable of upsetting expectations.
