Gimcheon Sangmu vs Pohang Steelers

Gimcheon Stadium sets the stage for a high-stakes K League 1 match between playoff hopefuls Gimcheon Sangmu and Pohang Steelers. 

Gimcheon’s pursuit of a top-six finish has recently taken several blows, with the home side going four consecutive league games without winning (D2, L2) since destroying Gangwon 4-0 on the road in early March. Gimcheon Stadium should be a safe haven for Chung Jung-yong’s side, yet their form has been indifferent at home this season (W3, D3, L2). Furthermore, they’ve only won once in their last five home league outings (D2, L2), averaging 0.5 goals per game in those four winless matches. Therefore, the upcoming clash against Pohang could be just what the doctor ordered for Gimcheon’s return to form, considering they’ve won the last four H2H meetings, scoring at least two goals on each occasion.

Meanwhile, visiting Pohang Steelers have hit the ground running since a gut-wrenching 1-0 home defeat to Gwangju in mid-May, winning three league games on the spin while netting 2+ goals each time. A fourth straight victory would be unprecedented as far as this season is concerned, yet they’ve not defeated Gimcheon since August 2022 (D1, L4). However, playing on the road could help them snap that woeful run after winning back-to-back away league fixtures via two-goal margins. Yet, they’ve been notoriously slow out of the blocks this term, scoring in the opening 15 minutes in just one of their eight away league outings.