This week’s marquee match is a clash between first and second, as Ulsan HD FC welcome Gimcheon Sangmu to the Munsu. The hosts are in excellent form, with four wins from their last five matches keeping them top of the table, and in pole position to retain their K League 1 title. Over the course of a 1-0 away win over Daejeon last time out, the Horangi impressively created an xG of 2.4 from 11 shots and 27 positional attacks, made 10 high recoveries, 35 interceptions, 32 accurate passes to the final third, while winning 54 of their 73 defensive duels.

Gimcheon, similarly, have now won three consecutive games, allowing them to leapfrog Gangwon into second, and return to the forefront of the title race. Last Saturday, a comfortable 2-0 win against Gwangju saw the military side healthily outscore their xG of 0.89, make 17 high recoveries, 32 interceptions, 14 clearances, and win 67 of their 94 defensive duels in an efficient performance buoyed by a strong defence.

This fixture has seen two highly entertaining battles so far in 2024, with Ulsan’s 3-2 away win in round two followed up by a dramatic 2-2 draw a couple of months later in May. With that being said, the Horangi are unbeaten against the military side since 2018, a run of 13 matches (10 wins, three draws).

As the race for both the K League 1 title and top-flight survival heats up, so too does the chase for the golden boot. With two goals in his last two games, FC Seoul’s Stanislav Iljutcenko has maintained his case for topping the scoring charts, whilst also showing just how important he remains to the capital city side’s wider ambitions. During a 1-0 victory over Suwon, the 34-year-old won two of his four aerial duels, made two interceptions, one progressive run, two accurate passes to the final third, took three touches in the opposition box, and scored from his only attempt. Now with 14 goals for the year, Iljutcenko leads the scoring charts alongside Stefan Mugoša of Incheon United.

Up next for Seoul is a trip to Gwangju who, after four defeats in their last five league games, will want to swiftly return to form to officially secure their K League 1 spot for next season. In 2024, the Griffins have positively sought a proactive approach by topping the possession charts (seeing an average of 57.7% of the ball per 90), and ranking fifth for xG creation (44.10), though have negatively conceded 45 times from an expected number of 41.56. However, the last three times this fixture has been played, Gwangju have won, which includes a 2-1 away victory in round 16.

Unbeaten in their last three matches, a solidifying Daegu FC take on fellow relegation-battlers Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. The hosts again secured a comeback draw last time out, with a Cesinha volley enough to earn a point away at top-half Gangwon FC. As for Jeonbuk, a 96th-minute Jeon Jin-woo winner against Jeju made it three wins from their last five games, and moved the team up to ninth. This season, the Green Warriors still rank highest for xGA, having conceded 50 times from an expected tally of 49.54, which may give confidence to their opposition, who in 2024 have created a relatively healthy xG total of 41.40 (though have only scored 36 goals). The last time these two sides met, Daegu ran out as 3-0 victors back in round 18.

Also this weekend, bottom-place Incheon United take on Gangwon FC. Last Friday, the Durumi were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Pohang Steelers, in a game where the team could only muster an xG of 0.57 from seven shots, and where keeper Lee Bum-soo made six saves to help keep his side competitive. Gangwon, meanwhile, managed a draw against Daegu last time out, meaning they are now without a win in five matches, and closer to Suwon in sixth than they are Ulsan in first. Positively, though, Yoon Jong-hwan’s men are still the top scorers this year with 55 goals scored, and the Bears have beaten Incheon both times they’ve faced off this season.

Rounding out Sunday’s action, Jeju United host Daejeon Hana Citizen. The Tangerines will have been disappointed by their 2-1 defeat to Jeonbuk last time out, one which keeps them firmly in the mix towards the bottom of the table, but know their relative defensive stability - nine clean sheets - could be a big asset ahead of Final B action. Daejeon, on the other hand, saw their seven-game unbeaten run conclude at the hands of Ulsan HD, but can take positives from their pressing, which allowed them to make 17 high recoveries, 31 interceptions, and win 68 of their 96 defensive duels. In 2024, these teams have played each other three times, and Jeju have come out on the winning side on each occasion.

#ULSvGIM: Ulsan HD FC (1st) vs. Gimcheon Sangmu (2nd)

#GWAvSEO: Gwangju FC (7th) vs. FC Seoul (5th) [ENG]

#DAEvJEO: Daegu FC (10th) vs. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (9th)

#INCvGAN: Incheon United (12th) vs. Gangwon FC (3rd)

#JEJvDHFC: Jeju United (8th) vs. Daejeon Hana Citizen (11th)

#POHvSUW: Pohang Steelers (4th) vs. Suwon FC (6th) [ENG]