Colombia face Uzbekistan in World Cup opener Thursday

Colombia open their World Cup campaign against Uzbekistan in Group K on Thursday, 18 June at 04:00 CET (1). Néstor Lorenzo's side arrive off a commanding friendly win in which Arias scored twice, and the coach has used the warm-up matches to settle on a likely starting eleven. Several Flamengo players are expected to form the core of the lineup. Uzbekistan represent an unfamiliar opponent, but three points here are non-negotiable with tougher tests waiting deeper in the group.