Preview: Daejeon Hana Citizen vs Seoul E-Land

Monday night football returns to Purple Arena this week where Daejeon Hana Citizen take on an in-form Seoul E-Land side in Round 15 of the 2020 Hana 1Q K League 2 season. Daejeon will be determined to bounce back from last week's disappointment having surrendered a two-goal lead. Seoul E-Land, meanwhile, have picked up four of their six wins away from home and make the trip to Daejeon on the back of two straight victories.

Overview

via Soccerway

Last Time Out

Daejeon Hana Citizen 2-3 Gyeongnam FC

Last weekend, Daejeon let a two-goal lead slip to succumb to fellow promotion hopefuls Gyeongnam FC. At a rain-drenched Purple Arena, standing water made it difficult for either side to get the ball down and play and so it was perhaps of little surprise that the opening goal came via a set-piece. Kim Seung-seop's right-footed corner found the head of centre back Lee Jis-sol, whose effort ricocheted off Luc Castaignos and in for an own goal. On 33 minutes Daejeon were 2-0 up, Kim Seung-seop the provider once again, this time for Brazilian ace Andre Luis who swept the ball home left-footed from just inside the area.

But, this was as good as it good for Daejeon as on 66 minutes, Gyeongnam mounted a comeback. Baek Sung-dong, who has form for scoring against Citizen having proved to be a nuisance in his Suwon FC days, halved the deficit with a close range effort after his initial sliced shot looped into the air. Nine minutes from time former Ulsan winger Hwang Il-su, who looked set to join Daejeon during the winter before joining the Reds, levelled from close range, latching on to Park Gi-dong's header. The win was sealed in the 94th minute through Ko Kyung-min. Unbridled joy for Gyeongnam, heartbreak for Daejeon.

Highlights




Jeonnam Dragons 1-2 Seoul E-Land

Seoul E-Land's second win on the spin propelled the Leopards into the dizzy heights of third place last weekend before slipping to fourth following Jeju's win over Chungnam Asan 24 hours later. Seoul overcame fellow playoff contenders Jeonnam Dragons by two goals to nil thanks to goals from Ko Jae-hyeon and Kwang Seong-wook. Loanee Ko Jae-hyeon got Seoul up and running on 46 minutes with a superbly struck half volley after taking the ball down with his chest from Lee Sang-min's ball forward. The second came on the counter, Won Ki-jong laying the ball out wide to Leandro whose low cross found Jang Yun-ho 12 yards out. The midfielder on loan from Jeonbuk saw his shot saved by goalkeeper Park Jun-hyuk but the quick feet of Kwak Seong-wook sent the goalkeeper sprawling before prodding the ball home. Jeonnam did pull one back via a Kim Hyun-wook penalty in the 89th minute but proved to be scant consolation.

Highlights

Previous Meetings

Daejeon and Seoul met in the capital earlier in the campaign with the Leopards coming out on top in a 2-0 win, Richard Sukuta-Pasu accredited with a brace for Chung Jung-yong's side. Losing to Seoul E-Land was Daejeon's first loss in 2020 after previously going six matches unbeaten in all competitions. Last term there were three draws between the two sides, 0-0, 1-1, and 2-2 in rounds three, 11 and 34 respectively. However, when the two teams faced each other at Purple Arena in Round 27, Daejeon emerged as winners thanks to Kim Seung-seop's late penalty.

Overall, there have been 17 meetings of which six have been won by Daejeon, five by Seoul E-Land and six draws. At Purple Arena, there have been eight encounters with Citizen winning five to Seoul's two and one draw.

Team News

Daejeon are set to be without Connor Chapman for a little while longer. Goalkeepers Kim Dong-jun and Park Ju-won remain as long term absentees leaving Kim Jin-young and Kim Keun-bae as Hwang Sun-hong's remaining senior custodians. Kim Jin-young has been Hwang's preferred choice, the two worked together at Pohang. However, with the Purples still struggling to keep cleansheets, Kim Keun-bae may be given another chance to impress. Elsewhere, left back Lee Kyu-ro is still out with a shoulder problem but is nearing a return whilst centre back Lee Woong-hee is due a return from an ankle injury. Should the former FC Seoul man be fit enough for a return then it would serve as a huge boost to a side that has leaked the second-most number of goals this term. Brazilian winger Edinho may be given a first start in a bid to freshen up the Purples' front line.

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Seoul have no suspensions of which to be concerned with and, given a recent upturn in form,  manager Chung Jung-yong is likely to stick to the same set of players to those which helped the Leopards on to wins against Bucheon and Jeonnam. Loanees Lee Sang-min, Kim Tae-hyeon and Jang Yun-ho have proved to vitally important for Seoul this term, while recent addition Ko Jae-hyeon has made an instant impact since joining from Daegu. 

The Adversary

Seoul E-Land head into this Monday's clash with Daejeon sitting fourth in the table, one point clear of Bucheon and Jeonnam and just three points behind the Purples. Brazilian forward Leandro leads the Leopards in both goals and assists with six and four respectively while Kim Tae-hyeon and Lee Sang-min have both been ever present having featured in all 14 previous matches. Seoul E-Land have the second highest expected goals in K League 2 with 20.41 but will most likely look to hit Daejeon on the break. Having the second-least amount of possession in the division is perhaps evidence as to how the Leopards like to play with 45.3%. For comparison, Daejeon have the second highest with 54.7%. The Leopards are productive, despite the relatively low amount of possession, having managed the third-most number of shots in K League 2 with 155, six more than Daejeon. Seoul are fourth for one-on-one dribbles and second for touches in the box.

 

What To Watch

Attack vs Defence

Daejeon have managed just three cleansheets all season in the league and have shipped an average of 1.5 goals per match. The absence of experienced centre backs has hindered the Purples in that regard due to injuries to Lee Woong-hee and Hwang Do-yeon, as well as Lee In-kyu departing for military service. Seoul E-Land's fluid forward line with the likes of leading scorer Leandro, Sukuta-Pasu and super sub Won Ki-jong should make for an interesting encounter. Seoul E-Land have shown that they are genuine promotion contenders and will prove to be a tough test for the Purples.

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Prediction

There has to be a reaction to last week's collapse, whether that be a changes in personnel or tactical tweaks. Daejeon manager Hwang Sun-hong knows that his side can score goals, it's at the other end where problems lie. Seoul E-Land, meanwhile, will be full of confidence after a huge win on the road last time out. Four of the Leopards' six wins have come away from home and will fancy themselves for another on Monday night. However, a score draw might be the most likely outcome.