It’s the third round since the resumption after the summer break, and everyone is getting back into the swing of things. Only Incheon have lost their first two games back, while Pohang and Gangwon will be looking to make it three wins from three. For everyone else, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. Will Round 18 see teams fare any better?
🗓️ Saturday, 18th July (19:30) KST
Daejeon (10th) vs. Ulsan (5th)
Preview: Daejeon welcome an Ulsan team looking to bounce back from a heavy home defeat to Jeonbuk last weekend. The defeat saw them drop to fifth in the table after teams around them picked up points. Daejeon are also having their own troubles and haven’t won in six, amassing three defeats in those games. Expect a tight affair, with Ulsan likely having just enough to scrape a win and pile more pressure on Daejeon boss Hwang Sun-hong.
↩️ Previous meeting: Ulsan 1-4 Daejeon (26th April)
💡 Prediction: Daejeon 0-1 Ulsan
🗓️ Saturday, 18th July (19:30) KST
Gangwon (3rd) vs. Gimcheon (11th)
Preview: Gangwon continue to prove critics wrong and maintain pace with the chasing pack in K League 1. Undefeated in seven, they’ve picked up four wins and three draws in that time. Gangwon haven’t lost in the last three meetings between these teams, and face a Gimcheon side struggling for points. With only two wins all year for the army boys, on paper this is only going to end one way.
↩️ Previous meeting: Gimcheon 0-3 Gangwon (21st April)
💡 Prediction: Gangwon 3-0 Gimcheon
🗓️ Saturday, 18th July (19:30) KST
Incheon (7th) vs. Jeonbuk (2nd)
Preview: Incheon have struggled since the resumption of football a fortnight ago, losing 1-0 twice in their two fixtures. This weekend provides another stiff test, against a Jeonbuk team who are desperate to take advantage of any Seoul slip-ups. History favours Jeonbuk in this game, too, as they have won on 21 occasions to eight. Looks like another uncomfortable night for the Incheon faithful.
↩️ Previous meeting: Jeonbuk 1-2 Incheon (21st April)
💡 Prediction: Incheon 0-2 Jeonbuk
🗓️ Saturday, 18th July (19:30) KST
Jeju (8th) vs. Pohang (4th)
Preview: Pohang are top of the form table and are performing very well. Striker Lee Ho-jae is leading the way for Pohang, and is joint top of the scoring charts with eight goals. Pohang have picked up eight wins so far this season and are two-for-two since the World Cup break. Jeju haven’t won in five, and have only scored 14 goals in 17 games. Jeju did win the reverse fixture 2-0 at the Steel Yard, so this game isn’t a foregone conclusion.
↩️ Previous meeting: Pohang 0-2 Jeju (11th April)
💡 Prediction: Jeju 0-1 Pohang
Read more: K League 2 Round 18 Preview
🗓️ Sunday, 19th July (19:30) KST
Bucheon (9th) vs. Seoul (1st)
Preview: This will be the second-ever meeting of these two teams, and the first at Bucheon Football Stadium. The reverse fixture was a comfortable 3-0 for the league leaders, and you’d expect them to pick up three more points this weekend. They beat Incheon a fortnight ago, but laboured to a 0-0 draw with Gangwon last weekend. Bucheon’s first season in the top division is going well, and they’re good at the back, but they’re also struggling to score. This is the start of a run of three derbies for Bucheon (Seoul, Anyang and then Incheon), so they’ll want to give a good account of themselves.
↩️ Previous meeting: Seoul 3-0 Bucheon (21st April)
💡 Prediction: Bucheon 0-2 Seoul
🗓️ Sunday, 19th July (19:30) KST
Anyang (6th) vs. Gwangju (12th)
Preview: The team that has won once at home all year against the team that has won once all year. Coming off the back of a hard-fought win last week in Incheon, Anyang will have their tails up. Gwangju shouldn’t be underestimated, however, as they have a number of new players available to them following the removal of their transfer/registration ban. Historically, Anyang only have six wins in this fixture to Gwangju’s 12.
↩️ Previous meeting: Gwangju 2-5 Anyang (26th April)
💡 Prediction: Anyang 2-1 Gwangju
English Coverage
All K1 and K2 games are available to stream on K League TV. The following games will be presented with English-language commentary:
Saturday:
Incheon vs. Jeonbuk
Daejeon vs. Ulsan
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