Relentless high press, tireless physical display and lightning-fast transitions define the Asian side, heirs to the heroics of 2002 and once again in the spotlight after reaching the last 16 at Qatar 2022.
The Dutch team, meanwhile, stays loyal to one of Europe’s most influential football schools: playing out cleanly from the back, patient possession and the quality to control the game when it really heats up, backed by their World Cup finals and podium finishes.
It’s the ceaseless drive of the East up against the strategic composure of the Oranje.
In a group where a draw may not be enough, every duel, every ball won back and every run into the box is played as if it were a final in its own right.
The Asian line-up leans on the deadly finishing of Son Heung-min, the defensive authority of Kim Min-jae and the all-action intensity of Hwang Hee-chan.
Oranje answer with a world-class spine: Virgil van Dijk marshalling the back line, Frenkie de Jong pulling the strings in midfield and forwards like Cody Gakpo ready to tip the balance.
More than just another group-stage fixture, it’s the perfect match to experience from the stands: a showdown between two opposing visions of the World Cup.