TASHKENT, June 25. /Dunyo IA/.   National team of Uzbekistan maintains its mathematical chances of advancing to the World Cup knockout stage following Colombia's 1-0 victory over the DR Congo in the second round of Group K, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Thanks to this result, the situation in the group has intensified: Colombia has secured 6 points, Portugal – 4, DR Congo – 1, and Uzbekistan – 0. Despite suffering two defeats at the start of the tournament, the fate of advancing to the next round for the Uzbek squad will be decided in the final round of the group stage.

To keep their chances alive, the national team of Uzbekistan must defeat the DR Congo. However, a victory alone may not suffice - the goal difference will play a crucial role. Furthermore, the country's advancement to the next stage will depend on the results of other teams in similar group scenarios.

According to the tournament regulations, 32 teams advance to the knockout stage: the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams.

As a reminder, the match between Uzbekistan and the DR Congo will take place on June 28 at 04:30 Tashkent time at the “Mercedes-Benz” Stadium in Atlanta, serving as a decisive fixture for both teams.

The head coach of the DR Congo, Sébastien Desabre, noted that his team will be forced to play with greater risk, as a draw will not satisfy their needs. According to him, the upcoming encounter will be key in the group and will demand a completely different tactical approach compared to previous matches.

Additional interest in the match is fuelled by assessments from forecasting platforms: participants on “Polymarket” consider the DR Congo the favourite for the clash, estimating their chances of victory at 55–56%, while the probability of success for Uzbekistan stands at around 21–22%.