Gangwon FC vs Pohang Steelers
Gangwon FC and Pohang Steelers will figure in a fascinating clash this weekend, as the second half of the 2020 K-League season is underway.
This fixture that will take place at the Gangneung Stadium will pose some important ramifications as far as the K-League table is concerned. The home team will be looking to solidify their place in the top six while their visitors continue their climb to the top three.
Gangwon FC are level with Gwangju FC, Seongnam FC, and FC Seoul with 21 points while Busan I’Park aren’t far behind with 20.
Meanwhile, the Pohang Steelers are in fourth with 31 points and a win here plus a loss by Sangju Sangmu will put them at third since the former has the edge in goal difference.
Although these two squads aren’t exactly in the title race, it’s undeniable that both of them have enough quality and depth to make a good push.
Here is a match preview from SBOTOP to examine on how these clubs would match up along with some K-League 2020 updates.
Talking Points
Gangwon FC seeking momentum
The Kodiaks turned a lot of heads when they ended the month of August with a bang.
Gangwon FC defied the odds by defeating the defending champions in Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in a match that came down to the wire.
Although both of these clubs had their fair share of scoring opportunities, neither found the back of the net up until the 76th minute.
Kim Ji-hyeon drew first blood with his low shot to the bottom corner, but Jeonbuk would answer back with an equaliser from their alpha dog in Han Kyo-won in the 88th minute.
But in the end, Gangwon FC got the last laugh thanks to a surprising marginal goal by Kim Ji-hyeon, which left the defending champions exasperated because they believed that he was offside.
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors lost significant ground in the title race with Ulsan Hyundai gaining a point after drawing level versus Gwangju FC.
However, Gangwon couldn’t keep their momentum going with a tough loss versus the league’s cellar dwellers in Incheon United during the last time out.
Stefan Mugosa simply couldn’t be stopped as he scored a hat-trick in a span of 15 minutes and the Kodiaks couldn’t muster another goal after Kim Ji-hyeon and Ho-in Lee scored.
They would surely love to get that one back, and they will have their chance when they host Pohang this Sunday.
Pohang Steelers finding their mark
The Steelers have made steady progress as of late and they will look to keep it going as they go on the road for the first time in two weeks.
Kim Gi-dong’s side is coming off of a two-game winning streak with victories over Seongnam FC and Daegu FC.
Those wins came in high-scoring fashion as they notched at least two goals in those contests. As of this writing, the fourth-seeded team is the second-highest in goals scored with 34.
Gangwon’s backline will be in a world of trouble if they can’t keep up with Pohang’s creative attackers.
Stanislav Iljutcenko, Kang Wang-soo, and Song Min-kyu lead the way with 26 goals between them, so making them uncomfortable should pose a daunting task for the Kodiaks.
History
Prior to this fixture, Gangwon FC and the Pohang Steelers have met in 21 occasions.
Pohang own the edge in terms of the overall head-to-heads with 10 victories, while Gangwon won in five along with six draws.
Their first meeting of this season back in June ended with a 2-0 win for the Steelers. Stanislav Iljutcenko and Kwon Wan-kyu provided the goals late as they took advantage of a weary backline by the Kodiaks.
Betting Tip
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Gangwon FC vs Pohang Steelers | Pohang Steelers Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 2.00 |
| September 13, 18:00 (GMT+8) |
The most recent K-League 2020 odds point to a victory for the visitors this Sunday. The Pohang Steelers are pegged at 2.30 to win, while Gangwon FC are not far behind at 2.88 and chances of a draw are at 3.35 in the 1×2 market.
Goals come in at a fair amount when these two lock horns, which is why I would also recommend placing your wagers at Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.77. You may also fancy betting on Over 2.50 @ 2.12 too.
With a deeper rotation at the attack, the Pohang Steelers are expected to repeat their earlier performance against them in the reverse fixture. However, Gangwon FC’s recent performances indicate that they will make them earn for it.
K-League football fans are going to be in for a huge treat in this one, and I reckon that Pohang will win narrowly this weekend.
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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