Jeonbuk Motors Daejeon Citizens: Preview

The K-League Classic kicks off it’s 11^th round of the season this weekend, marking the 1/3 mark of the regular season before the split. Every team is facing it’s final opponent before swapping home-away venues, and will give good insight to where teams will sit once the split come in October.

Table topping Jeonbuk Motors will make a short trip away to a team they share a very fair history with. Ironically they will face the very bottom of the table; far in comparison in the 2015 season, but almost spot on even over their 28 matches. Only in 2013 did Jeonbuk match Daejeon Citizens wins between the two, putting them both at 9-10-9 and only separated by Jeonbuk’s +3 goal differential.  To put the recent trend in perspective, of the last eleven matches there have been nine winners;  eight of those were Jeonbuk.

Saturday’s match between the two could be the dullest of the round with no promises from either side. The only guy to seem to score for the home side Daejeon is the Brazilian Adriano, who played in the scoreless match last round, but is said to be on an injury. He has 4 of Daejeon’s five goal on the season. 

Jeonbuk will only get two days rest before they will host an AFC group stage match against Beijing Guoan and will more than likely rest a few key players. Eninho and Edu both have been benching it recently as their schedule has picked up with K-League, FA Cup and AFC matches. Choi Kang Hee could use the opportunity of a weak opponent to rest his golden boy, and foundation of the team, Lee Dong Gook, as Jeonbuk doesn’t lack replacements this year. Their back four defensive-men will not be a problem as they have stacked the bench this year after two players, Kim Nam-Il and Kwon Kyong Won mived to Japan and Qatar respectively, and are extra prepared as 2014 World Cup star Alex Wilkinson stuck around after not coming to a deal in China. Jeonbuk’s defense, along with Jeju United’s, are the best defensive teams in the league.

Unfortunately for Daejeon, Jeonbuk is also only 2^nd in scoring by one goal behind Suwon. Anyone will predict the winners of the match to be the same who are predicted to win the league; Jeonbuk Motors. If that happens, the table will spread even further as 2^nd place Suwon host 3^rd place Jeju and 11^th place Busan Ipark will host Incheon United to try to come within a point of them.