Preview: FC Anyang vs Jeonnam Dragons

This Sunday sees bottom of the league FC Anyang, host in-form Jeonnam Dragons in the K League 2. The Dragons have won 4-0 two games in a row, since switching to a 3-4-3 formation, and introducing some new faces, while Anyang slipped to 10th after Chungnam Asan managed a win over Gyeongnam on the weekend. KLU's Joshua Higgins previews this weekend's game.

Match: FC Anyang vs Jeonnam Dragons
Venue: Anyang Stadium
Kick-off: Sunday 12th July 2020, 19:00 KST
Form: FC Anyang: LLDLD  Jeonnam: WWLLW

Last Time Out

FC Anyang 1 - 2 Jeju United 

After succumbing to a 2 - 0 loss against K League 1 team Daegu FC in the FA Cup, Anyang welcomed Jeju United to the Anyang Stadium. The visitors were always favorites, after hitting a fine vein of form, resulting in six wins from seven.

The hosts surprisingly went ahead in the second minute thanks to a well taken goal from Kim Gyeong-min, but were back on level terms just five minutes later after Lee Chang-min volleyed from outside the box to find the back of the net, his second goal of the season.

Jeju won the game as a result of some impressive footwork from Kim Yeong-uk who took the ball past three defender on the right flank and squared the ball to an unmarked Kong Min-hyu who converted easily from 12 yards out.

The hosts couldn't respond with any meaningful efforts at goal, their best chance coming from a tame free-kick that was easily saved by goalkeeper Oh Seung-hoon.

Highlights

Jeonnam Dragons 4 - 0 Ansan Greeners

Following their 4-0 mauling of Gyeongnam FC in the FA Cup, Jeonnam continued with their new found enthusiasm for scoring goals by swatting aside Ansan Greeners at home. The result was a culmination of the Dragons successfully adapting to their new 3-4-3 formation, allowing more men in attack, and a lot more width to their play, especially down the left from Uzbek Oleg Zoteev, and some suspect defending from the Greeners back four.

Jeonnam stretched the play early on, finding space in behind the defence with some well placed long passes from the back which resulted in the opener from Julian Kristoffersen, after some good work from Zoteev. After 20 minutes of the Dragons creating good chances, and controlling the play, Ansan felt their way back in to the game, and perhaps should've done better with their chances, especially in the 19th minute when Kim Ryun-do hit straight at the keeper from 10 yards out when he found himself in space in the box.

The beginning of the second half showed no signs Ansan would finish the game as 4-0 losers, as chances and possession were fairly even, but with 20 minutes to go the visitors had a complete meltdown defensively. In that time the Dragons created meaningful opportunities with ease, and perhaps could've, and should've, added to their scoreline even more. The highlights showcase a masterclass in how not to defend.

Highlights

Previous Meetings

FC Anyang and Jeonnam Dragons have faced each other a total of five times in recent history, with two wins apiece and one draw.

That draw came earlier this season, and was, by all accounts, a fortunate result for the Dragons. After playing poorly and going behind due to an Acosty goal in the 29th minute, Jeonnam were awarded a penalty, after VAR intervention, in the 94th minute, converted by Julian Kristoffersen, which leveled the score at 1-1.

Both teams have now had some time to adapt to the football season, after a long delay due to the global pandemic, they've also brought in some new faces who could make appearances this Sunday, but for different reasons.

Anyang desperately need to turn things around and change something, because their current course is finishing bottom of the league, and Jeonnam's new signings have had an extremely positive effect on both results, and style of play, since joining the club.

Team News

Neither teams have any new injury concerns, nor any disciplinary suspensions to worry about, for this upcoming game, only Rodolfo being the only notable absentee for the Dragons.

The home team have experimented with their formation, and starting 11, all season long, but have generally held true to deploying three centre backs in either a three, or five, at the back, in an attempt to stem the goals they have been leaking. So far that approach hasn't exactly borne fruit, so we may see something a little different this Sunday, although highly unlikely.

Jeonnam's success since switching to a 3-4-3 has been well documented, and we should expect the same formation, and attacking intent, from Jeon Kyung-jun's men as they'll want to capitalise on playing a team further down the table, before some of their more difficult fixtures come around.

[READ: K League 1 Round 11 Preview]

The Adversary

The Violets are bottom of the table after facing every side in the K League 2, so you wouldn't expect them to have more league goals than both Jeju United and Bucheon 1995, who sit in second and third place in the league, respectively.

So, evidently goals haven't been a problem, they have Acosty up front, tied in third place for the golden boot, and boast both Nilson and Koo Bon-hyeok in midfield, who are joint top assist makers in the league so far. Their problems lies in defence.

Anyang have conceded 16 league goals this season (the worst in the league so far), and kept only one clean sheet in those nine games. They have scored two goals, or more, on three separate occasions without winning those games, and none of their league games have included any heavy losses like Chungnam Asan suffered against Suwon in their 5-0 humiliation back in May.

The fact is, if Anyang want to progress this season at all, they need to address the problems at the back, whether that be bringing in new players, changing the system or style to shore up defence, or investing in a quality defensive coach. Time will tell if any of those things will come to pass, but surely something has to change at the Gyeonggi club.

What To Watch

The Dragons have perhaps been the best organised team, from a  defensive standpoint, this season, which has made manager Jeon Kyung-jun very happy at times, most notably the 1-0 wins over Jeju and Bucheon. However their style of play has given them the reputation of a team that doesn't entertain, and is content to play out a low scoring game.

That was before Jeon changed things up, following a two game losing streak, conceding four goals in the process, it seems as if goals have become the main aim in Jeonnam's game, rather than clean sheets.

It's true that, since making those changes, Jeonnam haven't faced the stiffest competition, but that won't be on the Dragon's player's minds this Sunday as they will look to make it three wins on the bounce.

We know Anyang can score goals, so this game might be a goal fest, especially in the second half, in which Jeonnam have scored a whopping 78% of their goals, and Anyang 69%. This Sunday's K League 2 match up could well be very entertaining for the neutral.

Prediction

Anyang are in such bad form, and Jeonnam look a different team in the last few games, so despite the fact Anyang have shown they can score goals, I have to go for a comfortable win for Jeonnam,

Full-time Prediction: FC Anyang 1 - 3 Jeonnam Dragons