K-League: Middling Teams Looking to Start August On a Great Note

Gangwon FC vs Sangju Sangmu

Gangwon FC and Sangju Sangmu will lock horns once more. But this time, this K-League match will take place at the Chuncheon Songam Sports Town Stadium.

In their first go-around, the military men came away with a 2-0 victory with strong performances from Kang Sang-uh and Moon Seon-min.

That momentum still carries over to this day as Sangju Sangmu are considered one of the best clubs in the Korean top-flight as of the moment.

Kim Tae-wan’s squad are currently placed fourth in the standings – level with the Pohang Steelers with 24 points. On the other hand, their opponents in Gangwon FC remain at the middle as they are placed seventh with 15 points.

Don’t let their respective placings fool you because, despite the points disparity between these two, Gangwon FC and Sangju Sangmu are two teams that are capable of beating anyone at any time.

And that includes them trying to beat up one another, so there is considerable excitement ahead of this weekend match.

Will Gangwon use their home advantage to avenge their earlier loss? Or will the military men march on and cruise to one more victory?

Here is today’s match preview.

Talking Points

Gangwon FC stuck in the middle

The months of June and July didn’t turn out to what the Kodiaks were hoping for as they were inconsistent all throughout.

After securing a rare win against Jeonbuk last May, Kim Byung-soo’s men were not at their best when they failed to seal the deal against their easier opponents.

They did kick off June with a victory and a draw against Incheon United and Suwon Bluewings, but it was followed by a four-game losing streak that carried over to the month of July.

Although they did snap out of their funk against Gwangju FC, the Kodiaks were down in the mud anew with back-to-back losses against Ulsan Hyundai in the K-League and in the Korean FA Cup and they were held to a goalless draw against Seongnam FC.

A common theme in their losses is their inability to make their presence felt on both ends.

Their attack has been putrid as they never scored in their last three matches while conceding four goals.

Ko Moo-yeol leads the squad in scoring with five goals so far. But other than him, neither of his teammates contributed more than two.

Their defence has been porous as well, as they have given up 20 goals already – which is the second-worst in the league.

There’s still hope for them, however, as they remain in the middle of the standings. But if their bad form continues, they might find themselves below at the top-half sooner or later.

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Serie A

Sangju Sangmu seeking bigger fish to fry

The military men’s major overhaul last summer has been paying dividends as they find themselves in the top half of the table.

Sangju Sangmu have been a rising team this season as they took the league by storm, which is why their opponents are now wary of facing them on the pitch.

Kim Tae-wan’s men are coming off of a brutal loss against the league leaders in Ulsan Hyundai with a 5-1 tally. Their once stifling defence was exposed by the likes of Junior Negrao and Lee Dong-gyeong who were some of the league’s top scorers.

Being dealt with a harsh reality may not be ideal, but it’s expected that the military men will take it as a challenge to try and bounce back.

History

All in all, Gangwon FC and Sangju Sangmu have faced off 24 times.

The Kodiaks own the slight edge in the head-to-head with 12 wins while the military men won in 10 occasions along with two draws.

However, Sangju Sangmu have been dominant over Gangwon FC in their recent encounters – winning five of their last six.

Scoring is the name of the game when they face each other, as they’ve averaged 2.6 goals between them per contest.

Betting Tip

	Gangwon FC vs Sangju Sangmu	1×2 Sangju Sangmu @ 2.97
	August 2, 18:00(GMT+8)

With these two teams looking evenly matched on paper, it’s hard to pick out a winner in this one. So I would totally understand if you will place your bet for a draw priced at 3.10 in the 1×2 market.

Gangwon FC’s K-League 2020 odds to win in this fixture are priced at 2.37 while Sangju Sangmu are pegged to win at 2.97, and I’m placing my bets on the latter.

This game is expected to witness some goals as well. Hence, you may fancy placing your wagers on Over 2.50 @ 1.81 or Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.67.

With Gangwon FC and Sangju Sangmu coming off some tough losses, it is imperative for them to try and start August on a great note. So this should be a closer match than most would expect.

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