The 27th round of the Hana OneQ K League 1 2023 is set to take place this weekend, and it’s a feast of matchups from the top to the bottom.
The most eye-catching is the third ‘Hyundai Street Derby’ of the season between Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai at the Ulsan World Cup Stadium on the 19th. These two teams finally meet at the top of the standings. Ulsan (57 points) has a commanding lead, while Jeonbuk (41 points) has risen from the bottom of the table to third place. The two teams are separated by 16 points, but the ‘Hyundai Street Derby’ still carries a lot of weight. Ulsan set the tone early by winning the first Hyundai Derby of the season (2-1 Ulsan) and extending their winning streak to six games, while Jeonbuk won the second Hyundai Derby (2-0 Jeonbuk) and quickly climbed up the standings with a steep 5-1 record. Depending on the outcome of this match, the top of the standings could change again.
Recent moods are mixed. Ulsan is in its worst form since the start of the season. They have only one win (D1, D3) in their last five matches. Two of those defeats were at the bottom of the table. In the previous round, they lost 0-2 to Gangwon FC, who were unbeaten in 25 matches against them. Since the departure of Park Yong-woo (Al Ain, UAE), there has been a noticeable drop in the weight of the midfield, which has had a knock-on effect on the attack. Ulsan failed to score for the second straight game. Lee In-jong-kyu and Bako, the team’s top scorers with 11 goals each, have gone scoreless. Lee hasn’t scored since the 21st round against the Pohang Steelers, and Bako hasn’t scored since the 23rd round against Suwon Samsung Electronics. To make matters worse, Kim Young-kwon, the nucleus of the back four and defense, is unavailable for this round due to accumulated cautions. Change is inevitable.
Jeonbuk has been steadily picking up points, despite a disappointing 1-1 draw against Suwon. Romanian coach Dan Petrescu has made a successful landing. Jeonbuk has established itself as a flank-oriented 4-4-2 team and has joined the race for the top spot. The problem for Jeonbuk is up front. The two foreign strikers, Gustavo and Hapasilva, are not doing their job. Their lackluster performances in the middle have led to a monotonous attack on the flanks. Amanojun could be the solution, as he came off the bench to impress in the last match against Suwon. The positioning of Baek Seung-ho, who played as a defensive and attacking midfielder, as well as a winger in the last round, will also be key to the game. Jeonbuk will also need to fill the void left by the departure of Kim Young-kwon’s “best friend” Hong Jung-ho. Hong Jeong-ho has been a stalwart for Jeonbuk, leading two long defenders in Jeong Tae-wook and Petrasek. 토토사이트
The ‘Hyundai Street Derby’, which was tied 1-1 this season, was not evenly matched when expanded to 10 games, with 4 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses. This is a crucial match that could break the ice.
We can’t forget the so-called ‘doomsday battle’ between Gangwon FC and Suwon FC. The two teams will meet at Gangneung Sports Complex at 7 p.m. on Nov. 19. Gangwon won their last match against Ulsan 2-0. It was a significant win. It was Yoon Jeong-hwan’s first win as Gangwon’s head coach, and it ended a 15-match winless streak (7 draws and 8 losses). At the same time, it was an invaluable victory to break the Ulsan jinx. On the day