Returning from the international break for the penultimate 2023 Hana 1Q K League 1 round of action, the relegation battle is still as wide open as ever. Only three points separate bottom from 10th, meaning all three sides involved in the fight for survival could suffer automatic relegation. Elsewhere, there's room for both positional changes and confirmations in the top half of the table as teams look to secure AFC Champions League qualification this weekend.
Match of the Round
FC Seoul (7th) vs. Suwon Samsung Bluewings (12th) - Sat. 25th November, 16:30
In the fourth and final Super Match of the year, FC Seoul host Suwon Samsung Bluewings. The home side come into proceedings guaranteed to finish in seventh place, having won two and drawn once since the split, and are likely enjoying their improved form. That, and the capital city club will need little in the form of extra motivation going into Saturday, knowing what stakes a victory could hold. Before the international break, Seoul were held to a 0-0 draw by Jeju United.
As for the Bluewings, they’ll be riding a high following a dramatic 3-2 away win in the Suwon Derby where a large portion of the game was played with 10 men. That strong result moves Yeom Ki-hun’s men three points away from 10th and nullifies the effect Gangwon’s victory over Daejeon could have had. With that being said, the Bluewings still need to be at their best this weekend and build some momentum, given that a loss could see automatic relegation confirmed in this round should results go against them elsewhere.
In the three regular season meetings, FC Seoul came out on the winning side, extending their recent fortune in this fixture. In fact, the capital city club have six wins and only one loss in their last eight when up against the Bluewings, which then furthers to just three defeats since the 2016 FA Cup Final.
Team of the Round
Gangwon FC (vs. Suwon FC, Sat. 25th November - 16:30)
Building on their home draw against Jeju United, Gangwon FC scored their first win since September away to Daejeon Hana Citizen in Round 36. It was an impressive, direct display from the Bears too, who registered 16 shots, and created an xG of 1.42, all while limiting their opponents to three attempts and an xG of 0.06. Such a performance will give Yoon Jong-hwan a template to work from going into this weekend, where another three points would push Gangwon up to 10th place.
Gangwon’s opposition this week are Suwon FC. The visitors are yet to win post-split, and with back-to-back defeats find themselves able to be leapfrogged should the Bears win on Saturday. Nevertheless, Suwon can take confidence from the fact they’ve won two out of the three meetings with Gangwon this year, with the latest being a 2-1 victory at Gangneung in August.
Player of the Round
Joo Min-kyu, Ulsan Hyundai (vs. Incheon United, Fri. 24th November - 19:30)
At 16 goals, Joo Min-kyu currently sits joint top of the K League 1 scoring charts alongside Daejeon Hana Citizen’s Tiago. Naturally, this means the 33-year-old has been a major help with regard to Ulsan Hyundai’s successful title retention, especially considering he’s yet to score in a loss this year. Against Pohang Steelers two weeks ago, Joo Min-kyu got himself the vital third goal in the game, won nine duels, made two successful dribbles, and created an xG of 0.39 from three attempts.
This Friday, Joo Min-kyu and co. travel to Incheon United. The fifth-placed side have two draws and one win in their last three league matches which leaves them five points away from Gwangju FC and a potential top-three finish. Having gained four points from Ulsan this season though, Incheon will have reason to believe they can claim the victory here on home turf, and remain in contention for an AFC Champions League spot.
Elsewhere in K League 1 Round 37
In a must-win game for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, they host Gwangju FC. Should the Green Warriors score a victory, they will move to within a point of the Griffins going into Round 38, and continue their unbeaten streak in Final A. Positively for Jeonbuk, Gwangju are winless in consecutive matches (one draw, one loss) for the first time since August, which means they could be vulnerable enough to be beaten on Saturday. When these have two met this season, there have been three wins for Jeonbuk (one being a 4-0 thrashing in the FA Cup), and one for Gwangju.
With two draws and one win post-split, Jeju United have shown signs of promise at the tail-end of the season. As such, the Islanders were able to secure their survival ahead of this weekend, making the game against Daejeon Hana Citizen something of a dead rubber. Still, the Purples are looking for their first set of three points in Final B action going into Saturday, ones which would take them to the 50-point mark if achieved. In the four clashes between the two sides this year, Jeju have two wins (including one in the FA Cup), Daejeon the most recent victory, while a score draw was played out back in June. There's also the golden boot race with Tiago looking to find the back of the net and move clear of Joo Min-kyu.
To round out the weekend’s action, Pohang Steelers welcome Daegu FC to the Steelyard. Neither side involved in this fixture have managed to win post-split, which leaves the Steelers at risk of potentially losing the second-place spot they’ve held for the majority of the season, and the Sky Blues with dwindling hopes of continental qualification. In the most recent two meetings between Pohang and Daegu, there have been two draws, but it was Kim Gi-dong’s men who claimed all three points back in round one. Depending on how other results play out, FA Cup winners Pohang could guarantee second place this week with a victory.
K League 1 Round 37 Fixtures
Friday 24th November
#INCvULS: Incheon United (5th) vs. Ulsan Hyundai (1st) - 19:30
Saturday 25th November
#JEOvGWA: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (4th) vs. Gwangju FC (3rd) - 14:00
#JEJvDHFC: Jeju United (9th) vs. Daejeon Hana Citizen (8th) - 14:00
#SuperMatch: FC Seoul (7th) vs. Suwon Samsung Bluewings (12th) - 16:30
#GANvSUW: Gangwon FC (11th) vs. Suwon FC (10th) - 16:30
#POHvDAE: Pohang Steelers (2nd) vs. Daegu FC (6th) - 16:30
Where to Watch
Follow all the action LIVE, for FREE, and in HD on TV.KLeague.com.
Incheon United vs. Ulsan Hyundai on Friday, and the Super Match on Saturday are the two matches picked for English commentary.
