Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors vs Pohang Steelers
Two top-tier K-League teams are set for an exciting rematch this weekend, as the Pohang Steelers visit the Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium.
These two proud clubs occupy the second and third spots in the updated K-League standings. The defending champions in Jeonbuk have 29 points while Pohang are not far behind with 24 points.
Whether it is by coincidence or not, Jeonbuk and Pohang are coming off matches against Incheon United and FC Seoul to where they recorded a draw and a victory respectively in similar scorelines.
The last time these two met back in mid-June, the defending champions got away with a victory after a superb second half performance to which the home team wasn’t able to respond.
Pohang had the game already in the bag when they drew first blood, but an own goal from their end and a late Kim Min-hyeok goal sealed their fate.
Will it be different this time around? Or will Jeonbuk assert their dominance in this upcoming reverse fixture?
Here is today’s match preview courtesy of SBOBET.
Talking Points
The defending champions have huge targets on their backs
When you’re the reigning champions, it is guaranteed that every opposing team will come after your head every match.
That has been the case for the Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. And as a result, they’ve been getting a mixed bag of K-League 2020 results.
Jose Morais’ side has been on a mini-slump recently. After defeating their bitter rivals in Ulsan Hyundai last month, the defending champions couldn’t get the job done against Sangju Sangmu, Seongnam FC, and Incheon United.
As they were charting through some rough waters, Jeonbuk needed a relatively easier matchup to cure their ills momentarily. So when they hosted FC Seoul at home, it looked like that they are back to their winning ways.
Their overall attack needs to improve to sustain this year’s title defence. Their midfield ace Han Gyo-won currently leads the team with seven goals as of the moment, but he will need additional support in order to keep up with the league’s best.
Jeonbuk were able to bring in new signings in Modou Barrow and Gustavo, and these two made huge impact during their last match against FC Seoul. If these two can fully integrate themselves with the roster quickly, Jeonbuk’s attack will be as dangerous as ever.
The Steelers continue to roll
Pohang have been hitting their stride lately as they find themselves at the third spot of the table – only five points adrift Jeonbuk.
The Steelers maintained their undefeated run since losing to Jeonbuk last June, as they’ve compiled seven wins and two draws in all competitions.
They are being led by Stanislav Iljutcenko and Song Min-kyu in terms of goals – having recorded 15 goals between them already this season.
But while their attack has been superb, their defence often goes unnoticed and it will be something to look out for if you’re Jeonbuk.
The Pohang Steelers only gave up two goals in all of their K-League matches in July. Scoring against this team will be much easier than done as they are fourth overall in goals conceded with only 15 so far.
Team boss Kim Gi-dong has a deep roster at his disposal. Regardless of who he puts out there on the pitch, Pohang should definitely be considered as one of the dark horse title contenders this season.
History
The Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Pohang Steelers have met in 41 matches already.
Jose Morais’ side owns the slight advantage in their head-to-heads with 16 wins compared to the Steelers’ 14. There have been 11 draws between them.
It has been a while since Pohang won against Jeonbuk. The last time that they did was back in August 2018 where they bested them with a scoreline of 5-2.
Betting Tip
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Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors vs Pohang Steelers | 1×2 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors @ 1.73 |
| August 1, 18:00(GMT+8) |
The home team in Jeonbuk are highly favoured to win according to our K-League 2020 odds. They are priced at 1.73, whereas the Pohang Steelers are priced at 4.40 and chances for a draw are pegged at 3.60.
You can also place your bets on Over 2.50 @ 1.79 or Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.83 since goals are abundant as recent history suggests.
The Steelers had quite an encouraging performance during their last meeting with Jeonbuk, but it feels like it was more about the latter’s complacency and lack of bite in front of goal.
However, Jeonbuk’s form have been inconsistent recently by their standards, so this is Pohang’s perfect chance to avenge their loss against them earlier this season.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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