Busan Transportation vs Seoul

K League 1 powerhouse Seoul take a trip to the Busan Asiad Auxiliary Stadium to take on lower-league opposition Busan Transportation in the Korean Cup quarter-finals.

Stuck in the Korean third tier, Busan Transportation come into this match-up off the back of a 3-1 defeat to fellow lower-league rivals Gyeongju KHNP. That reverse brought Busan’s 12-game winless streak in all competitions to a halt (W6, D6), which included Korean Cup triumphs over Gimpo and Jeonnam. It is worth noting that both those domestic cup successes required either extra time or penalties. Inspired by a seven-game unbeaten home run (W3, D4), the ‘Busan Seagull’ will look to defy the odds and avenge a 1-0 defeat in their only previous H2H. It took place in this precise competition back in 2011.

In the meantime, things are not going Seoul’s way these days, as witnessed by an underwhelming run of one win from their last four league outings (D2, L1). That uninspiring sequence has followed a comprehensive 3-1 home victory over Jeju United in the previous Korean Cup round. But An Ik-soo’s men have only lost one of their last five competitive away matches (W2, D2), including a penalty shoot-out triumph over Changwon in the opening Korean Cup round. A low-scoring theme highlighted that five-game sequence, as each fixture featured under 2.5 total goals, at an average of 1.2 per match. What’s more, Seoul have netted one goal or fewer in their last nine competitive away games on the trot.