DR Congo vs Uzbekistan predictions and betting tips – Leopards to make history against the group’s weakest defence

Group K signs off in the early hours of Sunday with a straight shootout for survival.

DR Congo arrive third on a single point, knowing only a win keeps their hopes of getting through as one of the best third-placed sides alive, while Uzbekistan sit bottom on zero, all but eliminated after shipping eight goals in two games.

Both nations are chasing a first-ever World Cup victory, and on the evidence so far it is Sebastien Desabre’s Leopards who look far better equipped to grab it. They held Portugal and pushed Colombia close, while Uzbekistan have been picked apart by the same two sides.

I am with DR Congo to get the job done, and I have three tips I fancy at the prices.

• DR Congo to win – 4/5 with Coral
• Under 2.5 goals – 10/11 with bet365
• Edo Kayembe to be carded – 15/4 with bet365

DR Congo vs Uzbekistan head-to-head and match information

• Date: Saturday 27 June 2026 (Sunday 28 June in the UK)
• Kick-off: 12:30am BST, Sunday 28 June
• Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
• Where to watch: BBC and BBC iPlayer
• Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany)
• Head-to-head: The two nations have never met before
• Favourite to win: DR Congo, 4/5 with Coral

DR Congo vs Uzbekistan predicted lineups

Desabre has a fully fit squad to choose from and a clear decision to make on shape. He went with a back five to frustrate Portugal, but against a Uzbekistan side this exposed I expect him to be braver, push a four-man defence and get his attackers on the ball quicker.

Yoane Wissa, scorer of the nation’s historic first World Cup goal, leads the line alongside the experienced Cedric Bakambu, with Edo Kayembe a certainty in a midfield three tasked with running the game.

• DR Congo predicted XI (4-3-3): Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba (c), Tuanzebe, Masuaku; Moutoussamy, Pickel, Kayembe; Elia, Wissa, Bakambu

Fabio Cannavaro faces the harder rebuild after that 5-0 hammering by Portugal, and one near-certain change is in goal, where Utkir Yusupov is likely to come in after Abduvohid Nematov’s costly own goal last time out.

Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov anchors a back line that has to be far tighter, with Abbosbek Fayzullaev, their only scorer of the tournament, the main creative hope behind captain and record scorer Eldor Shomurodov.

• Uzbekistan predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Yusupov; Khusanov, Abdullaev, Ashurmatov, Karimov; Shukurov, Mozgovoy; Fayzullaev, Urunov, Nasrullaev; Shomurodov (c)

DR Congo vs Uzbekistan predictions

The quality gap here is real but so are the brakes on the scoreline. DR Congo have shown genuine substance, out-shooting Portugal despite seeing barely a quarter of the ball and qualifying through a tough African play-off path that included wins over Cameroon and Nigeria. Crucially, they are not a free-scoring side.

They have managed only one goal themselves so far and Desabre’s whole approach is built on control and efficient transitions rather than blowing teams away.

Uzbekistan, for all their defensive trouble, will be desperate not to be embarrassed again and have the get-out of effectively being eliminated already, which can loosen a side up.

That points me towards a controlled rather than rampant Congolese win.

DR Congo have far more to play for, a clear edge in organisation and the pace of Wissa to exploit a defence repeatedly beaten in behind, but I do not expect a goal glut from a team that values its shape.

I am going for a 2-0 or 1-0 DR Congo win that finally gets them over the line.

DR Congo vs Uzbekistan betting tips

Here are my three bets for the game.

Leopards’ edge in quality and hunger to tell

DR Congo are the form side in this group by a distance. A point off Portugal and a narrow defeat to Colombia speak to a well-drilled, resilient outfit, and they now face the weakest defence in the section, one that has leaked eight goals in two games and offered little resistance to pace.

Add the motivation gap, with DR Congo needing the win to keep their knockout dream alive while Uzbekistan are all but gone.

The Leopards have the structure, the Premier League quality through Wissa and Wan-Bissaka, and the incentive to finally land a maiden World Cup win.

Bet on DR Congo to win at 4/5 with Coral

A controlled win rather than a goal rush

Both sides have reasons to keep this tight. DR Congo need the three points but will not want to throw caution to the wind and get picked off on the counter, while Uzbekistan, scarred by that Portugal mauling, will prioritise damage limitation.

Neither has been free-scoring, with each managing just a single goal across their two group games. Desabre’s side in particular thrives on a low-event, disciplined approach. That is the recipe for a measured Congolese win kept to one or two goals rather than a shootout.

Bet on under 2.5 goals at 10/11 with bet365

Kayembe to feel the pinch in a feisty midfield battle

This is where the value lies for me. Edo Kayembe is the engine of DR Congo’s midfield, the man tasked with breaking up Uzbekistan’s attempts to play through the lines, and he has racked up consistent foul counts in his recent competitive outings, averaging close to two a game.

In a tense, must-win occasion with both sides scrapping for a historic result, that disruptive role tends to bring a booking, and the man with the whistle only sharpens the angle.

Felix Zwayer is one of the strictest referees around and rarely shies away from his cards. At nearly 4/1 for a busy midfielder to go in the book, I think the price is too big.

 Bet on Edo Kayembe to be carded at 15/4 with bet365

DR Congo vs Uzbekistan latest odds

Find the latest DR Congo vs Uzbekistan betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.

World Cup 2026 predictions

We have plenty more World Cup 2026 coverage to get your teeth into, with predictions and betting tips on every key fixture as the group stage closes out and the knockout rounds take shape, plus angles on the outright and top-scorer markets.

Find more predictions and betting tips from our expert punters in our match preview overview.

Important DR Congo vs Uzbekistan historical facts for betting

• These two nations have never met before, so there is no head-to-head form to lean on, the first chapter is written in Atlanta.
• DR Congo are at the World Cup for only the second time and the first since 1974, when, as Zaire, they were beaten 9-0 by Yugoslavia.
• Yoane Wissa scored DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup goal in the 1-1 draw with Portugal on matchday one.
• DR Congo cruised through qualifying with seven wins from nine games, scoring 14 and conceding just five.
• Uzbekistan have conceded eight goals in their two World Cup games and are winless in their last five matches in all competitions.
• Eldor Shomurodov is Uzbekistan’s all-time leading scorer with 44 goals, but service to him has been scarce so far.

About the author

Dave Potter

Dave Potter is the founder of GYTO and has a huge following on X. Dave Potter studies the form and provides daily horse racing tips and football predictions.

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