Daejeon Hana Citizen vs Jeonbuk Motors

A fiercely-contested battle for K League 1 playoffs is heating up as Daejeon Hana Citizen and Jeonbuk Motors go head-to-head at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium.

Daejeon’s pursuit of a K League 1 playoff berth is on the line after an underwhelming run of four straight league draws demoted them to eighth in the table, a point adrift of sixth-placed Jeju United. On top of that, since a 2-1 win over Suwon in mid-May, they’ve gone winless in their last four home league outings (D2, L2), conceding a first-half opener on three occasions. On a more positive note, Daejeon pulled off an unexpected 2-1 win in the reverse fixture in April, arresting a three-game losing H2H streak. Connoisseurs of action-packed football will hope both sides can get on the scoresheet for a sixth consecutive H2H, with the last four also featuring over 2.5 total goals, highlighting the potential for a high-scoring contest.

In the meantime, Jeonbuk Motors eked out a dramatic 2-1 home win over Seoul last time out, making it three straight victories in all competitions by an aggregate score of 8-1. But the visitors cannot afford to rest on their laurels as a three-point lead on 7th-placed Gwangju leaves their playoff hopes in the balance. Worryingly, the ‘Warriors’ haven’t fared well on their travels this term, managing a disheartening win ratio of 30% (W3, D2, L5), not to mention they’ve emerged victorious in just one of their last four away league matches (D2, L1). A slow start would further derail their winning prospects, considering Dan Petrescu’s men have suffered four defeats on five top-flight travels after conceding the opening goal this term (W1).