Jeju United vs Pohang Steelers

Jeju World Cup Stadium forms the backdrop for a high-stakes Korean League Cup semi-final tie between Jeju United and Pohang Steelers.

Jeju United pulled off a massive upset in the quarter-finals, eliminating defending K League 1 champions Ulsan Hyundai on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. Two wins away from lifting their first League Cup title in over two decades, Nam Ki-il’s men come into proceedings amid a rough spell of form. Indeed, since ousting Ulsan, the hosts have gone winless in six consecutive league matches (D2, L4), conceding 2+ goals on four occasions. They’ll hope for a more resilient defensive performance here, but after losing their last two meetings with Pohang by an aggregate score of 6-3, that looks easier said than done. If that’s not enough to make the home faithful sweat, Jeju haven’t won any of their last five competitive outings at the Jeju World Cup Stadium (D4, L1).

On the other hand, Pohang Steelers have won both League Cup fixtures this season without conceding, including a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Incheon United in the quarter-finals. It’s been 14 years since the ‘Steelers’ last won the League Cup, yet a four-game unbeaten run (W2, D2) in the build-up to this match-up suggests they could at least appear in the title decider. However, the visitors should be cautiously optimistic about their prospects here, especially after only managing one win on their last five competitive travels (D3, L1). Moreover, they’ve lost back-to-back visits to Jeju via a combined score of 7-1!