Gangwon vs Gwangju

Gwangju’s hopes of reaching the K League 1 playoffs are hanging by a thread as they travel to the Chuncheon Songam Stadium to meet a downtrodden Gangwon side.

Stuck in the lower reaches since the early days of the 2023 campaign, Gangwon head into proceedings only three points clear of basement boys Suwon Bluewings after going winless in their last 11 league matches (D3, L8). But it’s not like they’ve failed to put up a fight of late, with their seven most recent K League 1 fixtures featuring a full-time margin of under 1.5 goals, four of which saw both teams on the scoresheet. Yet, the ‘Gangwon Kodiaks’ have stuttered at home, suffering three defeats in their last four home league games (D1) while averaging only 0.5 goals per match. Therefore, their bid to secure back-to-back H2H wins over Gwangju looks far-fetched.

Maybe Gwangju’s recent downfall could improve Gangwon’s prospects in this fixture, with the visitors going from seven straight winless games in all competitions (W5, D2) to two consecutive defeats ‘to nil,’ including a humiliating 4-0 defeat at Jeonbuk Motors on their most recent travel. But that loss came in the FA Cup, leaving Gwangju’s three-match unbeaten league streak on the road intact (W1, D2). Since each of those three outings produced under 2.5 goals, it’s reasonable to expect a cagey, low-scoring contest. That may not necessarily be the case as three of their last four league visits to Gangwon have seen over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring.