After a hectic midweek round, everyone is back at it for a weekend of big clashes at the top and bottom of the table. Gangwon are on the march and will be looking to cement second place; Daejeon’s poor form continues, but a creditable draw at Jeonbuk could be a catalyst, and Incheon have two wins in a week leading into a local derby against Bucheon.
🗓️ Saturday, 25th July (19:30) KST
Gimcheon (11th) vs. Daejeon (9th)
Preview: This is a meeting of the only two sides in K League 1 without a home win all season, and unfortunately for Gimcheon, they are the home side this weekend. The army team have drawn six of their home games and lost three. Daejeon are four points above them in ninth place, but are without a win in eight games. On the plus side, Daejeon have managed four games in a row without losing, drawing each of them.
↩️ Previous meeting: Daejeon 1-1 Gimcheon (14th March)
💡 Prediction: Gimcheon 0-1 Daejeon
🗓️ Saturday, 25th July (19:30) KST
Pohang (5th) vs. Jeonbuk (3rd)
Preview: This is a huge match on paper, with both teams looking to end a run of two games without a win. In midweek, Jeju were able to get the better of Pohang, while Jeonbuk labored to a 0-0 draw with Daejeon. Neither team can afford to lose if they have true aspirations of challenging for ACL places. In the head-to-head, Jeonbuk have won 25 games to Pohang’s 22—though Pohang were able to get the better of Jeonbuk in the meeting of these teams earlier in the year.
↩️ Previous meeting: Jeonbuk 3-2 Pohang (26th April)
💡 Prediction: Pohang 2-1 Jeonbuk
🗓️ Sunday, 26th July (19:30) KST
Anyang (7th) vs. Gangwon (2nd)
Preview: Fresh off a win in the local derby against Bucheon in midweek, Anyang will be looking to get their second home win of the season. Standing in their way is a Gangwon team with three wins and two draws in their last five games. Despite this form, Gangwon were held to a 1-1 draw in Jeju during the week, causing them to see Seoul’s lead at the top widen further. From here on out, Gangwon can’t really afford to drop any more points if they want to catch the runaway leaders.
↩️ Previous meeting: Gangwon 1-1 Anyang (15th March)
💡 Prediction: Anyang 0-1 Gangwon
🗓️ Sunday, 26th July (19:30) KST
Seoul (1st) vs. Ulsan (4th)
Preview: Following their home defeat to Incheon in midweek, Ulsan face the daunting task of a trip to Seoul. The league leaders have lost just three and drawn three so far this season, picking up three wins from four since the resumption of the league. Ulsan actually hold the better head-to-head record with 22 wins to Seoul’s 12, but Seoul picked up an impressive 4-1 away victory in the reverse fixture earlier in the year.
↩️ Previous meeting: Ulsan 1-4 Seoul (15th April)
💡 Prediction: Seoul 3-1 Ulsan
🗓️ Sunday, 26th July (19:30) KST
Gwangju (12th) vs. Jeju (8th)
Preview: Gwangju will be looking to add to their solitary win of the season against a Jeju team growing in confidence. They were presented with a good opportunity on Wednesday night when they played fellow strugglers Gimcheon Sangmu, but could only manage a 1-1 draw. Despite the improvement in performances and results, they are still 7 points from safety, and time is not on their side. It was 0-0 in this game last time out on the opening day, but a lot has changed.
For Jeju, a point in midweek against Gangwon was a good result, and adds to their earlier win over Pohang last weekend. Jeju’s away form is the second worst in the division, yet they are only three points from the top half thanks to recent home performances.
↩️ Previous meeting: Jeju 0-0 Gwangju (1st March)
💡 Prediction: Gwangju 1-1 Jeju
🗓️ Sunday, 26th July (19:30) KST
Incheon (6th) vs. Bucheon (10th)
Preview: This is a relatively rare fixture in terms of the K League, with the teams only meeting for the first time in the league last season. Of the four previous meetings, Incheon have two wins to Bucheon’s one. This game finished 2-2 earlier in the season, but there have been mixed fortunes for both teams since. Bucheon have just one win in five and none since the break, whereas Incheon have two wins and two defeats. The home side are coming off a double win over the K1 Hyundai teams, beating Jeonbuk last weekend and then Ulsan in midweek. Expect a feisty encounter.
↩️ Previous meeting: Bucheon 2-2 Incheon (18th April)
💡 Prediction: Incheon 2-1 Bucheon
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:
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