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NEWS

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2024 Hana Bank K League 1 Round 13 Preview

league 2024.05.16   I   hits 350

With the league table closer than ever, Round 13 of the 2024 Hana Bank K League 1 promises to be an exciting one. Fresh off their wins last weekend, FC Seoul and Daegu FC face off against each other, whilst the top three teams in Pohang Steelers, Ulsan HD, and Gimcheon Sangmu all face tough tests courtesy of Suwon FC, Gangwon FC, and Jeju United respectively. Elsewhere, Daejeon Hana Citizen host Incheon United in a match where both teams are looking for form, and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will hope they can move off the foot of the table when up against a revitalised Gwangju FC.

Match of the Round
FC Seoul (7th) vs. Daegu FC (11th) - Sun. 19th May, 16:30


This week’s standout contest sees FC Seoul host Daegu FC, in a clash where both sides will be aiming to keep some momentum following victories last weekend. For the home team, they defeated Incheon United 2-1 in the season’s second Gyeongin Derby, a Willyan brace securing the three points. Over the course of the game, Seoul impressively created an open play xG of 1.6 (compared to Incheon’s open play xG total of 0.35), made 243 of their 477 accurate passes in the opposition half, and won 48 duels. After two wins in their last three games, Kim Gi-dong’s men temporarily returned to the top half, before Gwangju’s midweek win.

Daegu, meanwhile, came from 2-1 down to defeat Gwangju FC 3-2 in front of a sold-out crowd, with Cesinha’s late penalty giving the Sky Blues just their second victory of 2024. Such a positive result will come as a relief after successive defeats, particularly now Park Chang-hyun’s side have moved off the foot of the table. In Saturday’s game, Daegu’s xG of 2.12 was their highest accumulated total this year.

Earlier this season, these two teams played out a 0-0 stalemate, extending Daegu’s brief unbeaten run in this fixture to three. In a wider sense, however, the record is more even across recent history, with four Seoul wins, three for Daegu, and three draws in the last ten meetings.

Team of the Round
Gimcheon Sangmu (vs. Jeju United - Sat. 18th May, 19:00)


Unbeaten in their last seven games (four draws, three wins), Gimcheon Sangmu are well within the mix at the top of the table, sitting just three points behind current leaders Pohang Steelers. At the weekend, the military side came from behind on two occasions to earn a draw against Ulsan HD, becoming the first team to take points from the Horangi since early April. In that 2-2, Gimcheon created a non-penalty xG of 1.74, took 23 touches in the opposition box, managed 26 clearances, and won 15 aerial duels.

On Saturday, Gimcheon host Jeju United, who have picked up four points from their last two matches after previously losing four consecutive games. A 91st-minute Italo header was enough to give the Islanders an important away draw at the Steelyard on Sunday, where they had peppered Pohang’s goal all game with 22 shots, 30 accurate long balls, and 23 touches in the opposition penalty area. Earlier in the year, Gimcheon ran out 2-0 victors against Jeju, making it eight wins in the last ten meetings for the military club.

Player of the Round
Lee Seung-woo, Suwon FC (vs. Pohang Steelers - Sun. 19th May, 19:00)


In Suwon FC’s dramatic 3-2 away comeback victory against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, it was Lee Seung-woo’s brace which helped tip the tide in favour of the visitors. Despite only playing in the second half, the 26-year-old created an xG of 1.52, took five shots, six touches in the opposition penalty area, made six passes into the final third, and managed one successful dribble, all of which highlights his willingness to play directly, and in turn ensure his team could overturn a two-goal deficit. After winning at the weekend, Suwon FC have moved up into fourth place, two points clear of fifth.

This weekend, league leaders Pohang Steelers form the test for Lee Seung-woo and co. With three draws from their last five matches, Park Tae-ha’s side have slowed down slightly, but remain on an 11-game undefeated streak in K League 1 action. This past weekend, Pohang dropped points from a winning position for only the second time in 2024, with April’s 1-1 draw against this week’s opposition, Suwon, the first instance. Nevertheless, Pohang haven’t lost in this fixture in their last five attempts (four wins, one draw).

Elsewhere in K League 1


When Daejeon Hana Citizen face off against Incheon United, they’ll do so hoping for their first win against the Durumi since 2013 (a run of nine defeats, and one draw). Last Saturday, an injury-time Peniel Mlapa penalty gave the Purples a 3-3 draw away to Gangwon, though they may well be disappointed that their initial two-goal lead in that game was lost in the first place. As for Incheon, a 2-1 Gyeongin Derby defeat has left them with one win in their last seven league games, but still only a single point away from the top-half. In round four’s reverse fixture, the Durumi ran out 2-0 victors.

Moving onto Sunday, Gangwon FC welcome Ulsan HD to Chuncheon, in a battle between the league’s two most prolific sides. The hosts were seconds away from a dramatic comeback victory against Daejeon last time out, but a late Peniel Mlapa penalty stuck a pin in those ambitions, and left the Bears unable to claim consecutive league wins. As for Ulsan, a midweek defeat against Gwangju stopped them from moving to the top of the table, where even a draw would’ve been enough for the Horangi to leapfrog Pohang. Regarding both team’s attacks, Gangwon average (per 90) 1.8 goals per game, 5.2 shots on target, 2.2 big chances, and boast an overall xG of 17.6. Ulsan, on the other hand, average (per 90) 2.1 goals, six shots on target, 2.5 big chances, and have an overall xG of 20.7. Earlier this season, though, the Horangi were 4-0 winners against Gangwon.

Rounding out the weekend’s action, Gwangju FC host bottom-place Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. The Griffins are now back in the top half, following three wins out of their last four matches, and remain the only side in the division yet to draw a game in 2024. Home comforts may well come in handy for Gwangju again this weekend, with 12 of their 15 total points coming when playing in front of their own fans. As for Jeonbuk, they have sunk to the bottom of the table after losing 3-2 at home to Suwon FC, which makes it three consecutive losses for the club. Worryingly, the managerless Green Warriors rank first in K League 1 for xGA (22.1), compared to their xG total of 17.7, which is the fifth highest. With that being said, it was Jeonbuk who triumphed in the reverse fixture, a late Song Min-kyu winner giving them a 2-1 victory back in round seven.

K League 1 Table



K League 1 Round 13 Fixtures

Saturday 18th May

#DHFCvINC: Daejeon Hana Citizen (10th) vs. Incheon United (8th) - 16:30 [ENG]
#GIMvJEJ: Gimcheon Sangmu (3rd) vs. Jeju United (9th) - 19:00

Sunday 19th May

#SEOvDAE: FC Seoul (7th) vs. Daegu FC (11th) - 16:30 [ENG]
#GANvULS: Gangwon FC (5th) vs. Ulsan HD FC (2nd) - 16:30
#GWAvJEO: Gwangju FC (6th) vs. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (12th) - 19:00
#SUWvPOH: Suwon FC (4th) vs. Pohang Steelers (1st) - 19:00 [ENG]

Where to Watch

Watch all matches LIVE, for FREE, and in HD on TV.KLeague.com.