Korea Republic will need to pick up at least a point against the Mexicans after suffering a 1-0 defeat of their own at the hands of Sweden in Nizhny Novgorod on Monday if they are to harbour hopes of progressing to the knockout phase for the third time in the country’s history.
But the impressive display by the Mexicans at Luzhniki Stadium, when Hirving Lozano’s goal saw off Joachim Low’s side, has left Ki concerned about the challenge that lies ahead for him and his teammates.
“Mexico are good with the ball and they’ve quick players so it’s going to be a different kind of game,” said the Swansea City midfielder. “We saw the game between Mexico and Germany and tactically they’ve prepared really well and their individual performance was brilliant, so it’s going to be a tough game.
“They’re always a good team, I thought it was going to be a very difficult game for Germany against Mexico. Maybe they have more confidence now because they’ve beaten one of the biggest teams in the world, so we will have to prepare for that.
“Also, the fans from Mexico. There are a lot of them who come to the stadium and they make a very good atmosphere for the players and we have to prepare for that.”
Andreas Granqvist’s penalty was enough to condemn Shin Tae-yong’s side to a defeat in the teams’ Group F opener but Ki stressed the need for him and his teammates to push thoughts of the loss aside and focus on the meeting with the Mexicans in Rostov-on-Don.
“The first game is gone and we can’t think about this for the next few days because we have more difficult games against Mexico and Germany,” he said.
“Mentally we have to recover as soon as possible and the players know it’s going to be a more difficult game than against Sweden. We have to be disciplined and organised to survive against them. They are playing short passes and have a very organised attack.
“Maybe we have to raise our confidence. It’s difficult for the players, it was the first game and a lot of pressure and maybe some of the players haven’t had this kind of atmosphere. I hope in the second game the players can play with more freedom, and less pressure in the second game.”
After the performances of both teams in their respective opening fixtures, Ki believes the Koreans will go into the Mexico game as underdogs and need to develop a game plan that can counteract their opponent’s strengths.
“I don’t think it’s going to be an even game,” he said. “They have all these qualities and now they have confidence. Maybe they will expect to have more of the ball than us, but we can’t concede the early goal.
“We have to concentrate on the defensive side first and then we need to maintain our performance at 0-0 for as long as possible. Then we can counterattack and look for set-pieces.
“They’re not a big sized team, like the Swedes. I don’t think they’re going to use the long ball. It’s not going to be easy, it will be a very different game and I’m looking forward to playing against a good side.”
