Sweden and South Korea face-off in their Group F opener on Monday.

The competitive group, featuring Mexico and footballing powerhouse Brazil, is as tough as it comes on paper.

Here, we take a closer look at the key battles on show at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.

The First Line of Defence

Victor Lindelof v Kim Young-gwon

The 23-year-old’s first season with Manchester United was not spectacular but the centre-back certainly fits the bill for the English game and looks like he will be given more time to find his feet.

He will, however, have to shrug off a lack of game time and speculation over his future to be the leader in defence and support the ageing legs of stalwart Andreas Granqvist.

South Korea do not pose much of an attacking threat centrally but Sweden will need to defend attacks from the wing.

His opposite number, Young-gwon, will probably not be known by the masses but has been a consistent part of this side since 2010.

Domestically, he plays in the Chinese Super League with giants Guangzhou Evergrande and is a reliable presence for his nation.

Victor Lindelof struggled to adapt in his first campaign at Old Trafford.

The battle of the engine room

Sebastian Larsson V Ki Sung-yueng

The former Arsenal, Birmingham, Sunderland and Hull midfielder is now back in his homeland with AIK, and despite being 33, is a man of considerable experience, work-rate and has the ability to influence games from dead-ball situations.

He is still an integral part of the Sweden midfield think-thank in an area of the pitch which will be all-important in this contest.

The skipper of this outfit, experienced former Swansea man Sung-yueng wasn’t necessarily the perfect fit for the Welsh side but he offers a sheer physical presence for his country.

One of their most experienced players with 102 caps, the dynamic central midfielder – who has plenty of technical ability – will need to be at the centre of their forward forays.

Leading from the front: Ki Sung-yueng.

The main protagonists in front of goal

Marcus Berg v Hwang Hee-Chan

The 31-year-old Al Ain striker no longer has to live with the tag of being a foil for Zlatan.

After a stellar first season in the Arabian Gulf League, the former Panathinaikos hitman seems to have taken on more responsibility at international level.

Starting up alongside Ola Toivonen in a 4-4-2 system, his link-up play with the Toulouse attacker will be crucial.

For the Koreans, 22-year-old Hee-chan has quickly become one of the country’s leading exports over the past three seasons, plying his trade with Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga.

He helped his team land a place in last season’s Europa League final and comes into this tournament with plenty of confidence and is never shy of making lung-busting runs.

New sensation: Hwang Hee-chan made his international debut in 2016.