Gwangju FC vs Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
The K-League championships are suddenly reeling. After back-to-back defeats, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are now five points behind leaders Ulsan Hyundai with just three matches remaining in the regular season.
Their opponents this week, Gwangju FC, actually did Jeonbuk a favour by holding Ulsan to a draw last time out, which extended their impressive unbeaten run.
And now, the newly promoted side can put another big dent in the champions’ title chances if they can prevent Jeonbuk from winning at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium.
Talking Points
Gwangju’s unbeaten run is still going
Gwangju FC are making a strong push to break into the top half of the table. They have now gone an impressive six matches unbeaten (two wins, four draws) after a 1-1 draw away to leaders Ulsan, which defied the K-League 2020 betting odds.
Gwangju were able to hold on for a draw despite being down to 10 men for the last 18 minutes after Willyan was sent off.
That red card means that Willyan will be suspended against Jeonbuk, which is a massive blow for Gwangju. The Brazilian has had a fine season for Gwangju with four goals and two assists in 13 games.
Moreover, three of those goals have come in his last four games. That includes one in Gwangju’s amazing 6-4 win away to Daegu a few weeks ago.
It was an incredible showing from a Gwangju side that had scored just 16 goals in 17 games prior to that match. But replicating that performance will be difficult to do without Willyan.
There will be more pressure on their other star Brazilian, Felipe, as well as Won-Sang Eom to carry the Gwangju attack.
Felipe has been fantastic in his first season in the K-League. The Brazilian is fourth in the goal charts with 10 goals, while Eom has chipped in with four of his own.
Jeonbuk title reign in jeopardy
Jeonbuk have hit a rough patch ahead of the final round of games. The champions suffered a second defeat in succession — the first time that’s happened in three years — as they were stunned 2-0 away to Seongnam FC, who went down to 10 men. As a result, they are now five points behind rivals Ulsan.
With Brazilian striker Gustavo starting on the bench, Jeonbuk just couldn’t create anything in the first half against Seongnam. And even when he and Modou Barrow came on in the second half, Jeonbuk’s attack still didn’t do enough to trouble Seongnam’s defence.
Jeonbuk’s defence has been one of the best all season long, but it has struggled of late. They’ve failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last four games and let in two against a Seongnam side that has been among the lowest-scoring teams in the league.
Meanwhile, Jeonbuk’s attack still isn’t the dominant unit that scored 72 goals last season. They outscored Ulsan by a single goal, which was what ultimately decided the title. But this year, they’ve scored just 31 goals in 19 games, which is a mere fourth in the league.
Gustavo should return to the starting line-up after being dropped against Seongnam. Meanwhile, top scorer Gyo-Won Han (eight goals) will look to get back on the scoresheet for the champions.
History
Jeonbuk have dominated their historical head-to-head matchups with Gwangju. They’ve won nine out of the 14 matches, with Gwangju claiming just one win.
Jeonbuk have won each of their last three meetings, including their first match this season. However, the champions needed an 86th-minute winner from Gyo-Won Han to beat Gwangju 1-0 at home.
Betting Tip
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Gwangju FC vs Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 1X2 Draw @ 3.95 |
| September 12, 3:00(GMT+8) |
The SBOTOP odds have Jeonbuk as heavy favourites at 1.56 to pick up the win they need to keep their title hopes alive. Gwangju are priced at 5.40, while a draw is 3.95.
Given Jeonbuk’s recent form, it’s hard to have any confidence in the champions at the moment, especially against a Gwangju side that’s been playing well.
It seems unlikely that the champions lose three matches in a row, but Gwangju have also shown the ability to give the best attacking sides in Daegu and Ulsan some problems. They also made things difficult against Jeonbuk in their first meeting.
That’s why I’m going to take a punt at Gwangju repeating that feat and picking up another draw against the champions.
| 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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