Pohang Steelers vs Jeju United

Pohang Steel Yard forms the backdrop for a high-stakes K League 1 encounter between Pohang Steelers and Jeju United.

A late equalizer in a 1-1 draw at basement boys Suwon Bluewings on Wednesday maintained Pohang Steelers’ patchy K League 1 form (W2, D2, L1) but kept them eight points clear of 7th-placed Daejeon. Winless in back-to-back league games (D1, L1), the ‘Steelers’ return to the Pohang Steel Yard, where they’ve won 64% of their top-flight matches this season (7/11). But a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Ulsan Hyundai in their most recent home league outing ended Pohang’s four-game winning streak on home soil, suggesting they cannot take anything for granted. Flying out of the traps could lend a massive helping hand, with Kim Gi-dong’s side winning all three home league fixtures when leading at halftime this term.

In the meantime, a dull 0-0 home draw against Gwangju in midweek K League 1 action condemned out-of-sorts Jeju United to a seventh consecutive winless league outing (D3, L4). Desperate to break their barren run, the visitors can draw confidence from winning three of their last four top-flight meetings with Pohang (L1), though their only defeat came in their most recent H2H. Maintaining their decent-looking H2H form has become a necessity as Nam Ki-il’s lads commence this round one point adrift of the playoff line. Much will depend on their first-half performance, considering they’ve lost all four away league games after trailing at halftime this season.