Gimcheon Sangmu vs. Incheon United: Key Clash for Top and Bottom of K League Table

This weekend sees the return of the K League after the international break, and there is one game on Sunday that could have implications at both ends of the table. Gimcheon Sangmu will be looking to get their faltering title challenge back on track as they host an Incheon United side currently fighting for their lives at the opposite end of the table.

Recent Form

After an extremely impressive start to the season, which saw them touted as possible title winners, things have been bumpy for Gimcheon Sangmu recently. A dip in form has seen them slip down into fourth place. Recent results have seen them pick up just four points from a possible 18; however, indifferent form from fellow title challengers means they are still well in the mix and currently within four points of leaders Gangwon. In their last game, they headed to Jeju United for an encounter from which they would have expected more, but they went down 1-0 in a tightly contested affair, with a penalty from Yuri Jonathan handing the hosts all three points. We have to go back all the way to the end of July for their last victory: a 2-1 win against Pohang Steelers.

While Gimcheon are looking up at the top of the table, Sunday’s opponents, Incheon United, have had a rather different season in terms of results. They are currently sitting third from bottom, just one point above the bottom place and automatic relegation, and they come into this game with two wins from their last six matches. They did taste victory in their last game as they traveled south for a relegation six-pointer against fellow strugglers Daegu FC. Despite trailing 1-0 at halftime, courtesy of a Jeong Chi-in strike, an impressive second-half performance saw them complete an unlikely turnaround, with Stefan Mugoša and Kim Do-hyuk scoring the goals that gave them a 2-1 victory. They will be looking to replicate the form they showed in the latter part of this game, as they were clinical in front of goal and were able to stifle a Daegu attack that had looked so lively during the first half. 

This Season’s Meetings

This will be the fourth meeting between the two sides this season, as they also met in the last 16 of the cup. All three of the previous meetings have ended in draws, with the first being an entertaining 2-2 draw in Gimcheon back in May. They then met again the following month, with Incheon needing a penalty shootout to advance after a 0-0 stalemate. The third and final meeting was in July, when a late Stefan Mugoša strike saw Incheon take a share of the points in a 1-1 draw.

Key Players

Of course, when we talk about Gimcheon this season, we will always mention Lee Dong-gyeong. Fresh from international duty, where he made a late cameo appearance in South Korea’s 0-0 draw with Palestine, he will be looking to add to his impressive total of 18 goals and assists this season. Aside from him, another threat will be former Daegu and Gangwon attacker Kim Dae-won. The 27-year-old has plenty of experience at this level and has weighed in with six assists and four goals so far this season.

For the away side, you can be fairly confident that Stefan Mugoša will once again be the key man this Sunday. The Montenegrin international is currently the top scorer in K League 1 with 14 goals—an even more impressive feat when you consider his side’s position. The forward’s finishing and strength have been integral to the Incheon attack this season, and it’s safe to say their position would be a lot worse without him. In other areas, Choi Woo-jin has impressed on the left side in recent weeks, and he was particularly impressive in their victory at Daegu, as was youngster Kim Gun-hee in the heart of the defense.

Prediction

With both teams showing stuttering recent form and with a lot to play for, a tight and nervy encounter is expected on Sunday—a 1-1 draw.