In a clash between two teams competing at opposite ends of the table, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors welcome familiar foes Ulsan HD FC. The hosts are in sluggish form, with one win, two draws, and two losses in their last five games, so will know they have to show far better than they managed in a 4-0 defeat to Gimcheon Sangmu last weekend. There, Jeonbuk faced 28 shots - which led to an xGA number of 3.26 - while only completing four shots themselves in a performance hampered by a first-half Park Jin-seop red card. Generally though, the Green Warriors have struggled defensively all season, with their overall xGA tally of 40.63, 43 goals conceded, and shots against a total of 342, the highest in the division.

As for Ulsan, their first game without manager Hong Myung-bo ended in a 1-0 home victory over FC Seoul, though it certainly wasn’t a vintage display with only five shots taken, and an xG of 0.41 created. Nevertheless, the Horangi have moved up to second, still leading the pack in terms of goals scored (40), and xG (37.03), numbers which could inspire confidence going into a match against the league’s statistical worst defence.

Back in Round 16, Ulsan were 1-0 victors in this fixture, extending their unbeaten run against Jeonbuk to six (four wins, two draws). However, all wins in that period have only been by that same one-goal margin.

After two consecutive draws, Incheon United returned to winning ways with a 2-0 triumph away at Gwangju FC. There, the Durumi took six of their 11 shots on target, created an xG of 1.18, made five high recoveries, 47 interceptions, won 47 of their 65 defensive duels, and completed 19 accurate passes to the final third in an all-round solid display. Now, the task at hand for Incheon is building some momentum, as they look to earn their first home league victory since the beginning of May this weekend.

To achieve the above, Incheon will need to get past Suwon FC. Unbeaten in five, Kim Eun-jung’s men are good value for money this year, and will be pleased that a 90th-minute Kwon Kyung-won equaliser meant they at least came away from last weekend’s clash against Daegu with a point. Happy to play direct, Suwon average (per 90) 11.44 shots, 17.16 touches in the opposition box, and 53.93 passes to the final third. The two times these teams have met this year, it’s Suwon who have come out on the winning side.

Park Sang-hyeok, Gimcheon Sangmu (vs. FC Seoul, Sun. 21st June, 19:00)

Starting to show his quality at Gimcheon Sangmu, Park Sang-hyeok has been something of a super-sub for the military side as of late. Scoring three times across four overall appearances, the 22-year-old striker will hope to continue his form in the coming weeks as his team vie for the K League 1 title. Per 90, Park Sang-hyeok currently averages 1.26 goals, 4.19 shots, an xG of 0.67, 4.19 recoveries, 7.95 aerial duels, and 6.7 touches in the opposition penalty area. After a 4-0 victory against Jeonbuk, Gimcheon have moved back into first place.

This weekend, Park Sang-hyeok and co. go up against FC Seoul, who are aiming to bounce back from both a 1-0 league defeat at the hands of Ulsan, and a midweek cup exit after a 5-1 away defeat to Pohang Steelers on Wednesday. Across the whole season though, Seoul rank lowest for xGA (27.3), as well as second-highest for xG creation (35.22), with the underlying numbers showing positive signs for the capital city side. Following a 5-1 victory for Kim Gi-dong’s men in this fixture back in Round 5, things were even the second time around, with the most recent meeting finishing 0-0.

This Saturday, Gangwon FC welcome Jeju United to Gangneung. Last time out, the Bears came from behind to rescue a point in a 1-1 draw away at Daejeon Hana Citizen, where they continued a three-game streak of taking only two shots on target. They’ll be hoping for better this weekend, having only won twice in their last six outings. Jeju, on the other hand, have come into some relative form, with three wins from their last five matches pushing them up to seventh, one point away from Seoul in sixth. In a 2-1 win against Pohang, the Tangerines showed their attacking potential, taking 19 shots, creating an xG of 2.1, and completing 36 passes to the final third. In the last meeting between these sides, Gangwon ran out 2-1 winners.

After three consecutive draws, Daegu FC will be searching for a winning formula when they host Gwangju FC. The Sky Blues remain in 10th despite their steady improvements, but can take positives from the fact that their attack is beginning to look sharper (five goals scored in their last three games). Last time out, though, a 90th-minute Suwon equaliser ensured Daegu stayed winless in five. As for Gwangju, their unpredictable 2024 continued this past Sunday when they lost 2-0 at home to Incheon United. With an average of 57.7% possession per game, the Griffins are the most comfortable side on the ball in K League 1. But that doesn’t always matter as Daegu, the team with the lowest average possession in the division (44.4%), have emerged as victors in both clashes between these teams this season.

Finishing off the weekend’s action, bottom-place Daejeon Hana Citizen face Pohang Steelers. The Purples are now winless in five following a 1-1 draw on Saturday, and with the league’s lowest goal total (22), an average of 7.48 shots per game, and xG tally of 23.81, it’s clear where improvements are needed should the team manage to successfully stay up. Pohang, meanwhile, dropped to third following a 2-1 loss to Jeju United, before emphatically highlighting their quality in midweek cup action courtesy of a 5-1 victory over FC Seoul. Coming into Sunday's game, the Steelers are unbeaten in this fixture since 2010, a run of 17 matches (12 wins, five draws).

#JEOvULS: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (11th) vs. Ulsan HD FC (2nd) - 19:00 [ENG]

#GANvJEJ: Gangwon FC (4th) vs. Jeju United (7th) - 19:30

#INCvSUW: Incheon United (9th) vs. Suwon FC (5th) - 19:00 [ENG]

#DAEvGWA: Daegu FC (10th) vs. Gwangju FC (8th) - 19:00

#SEOvGIM: FC Seoul (6th) vs. Gimcheon Sangmu (1st) - 19:00 [ENG]

#DHFCvPOH: Daejeon Hana Citizen (12th) vs. Pohang Steelers (3rd) - 19:00

Watch all matches live on TV.KLeague.com.