Johor Darul Ta’zim vs Pohang Steelers

Pohang Steelers head to the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium to take on Johor Darul Ta’zim, looking to secure all three points and consolidate a top-two finish in the AFC Champions League Group G.

Coming into this encounter off the back of a 4-1 thumping to Pohang Steelers, the hosts are desperate to pick up all three points and remain in contention for a top-two finish in Group G. The ‘Southern Tigers’ have blown hot and cold in the Champions League group stage so far (W1, L2) and are three points adrift of second-placed Pohang ahead of the kick-off. Curiously, only one of Johor’s last 11 matches in all competitions has ended as a draw (W7, L3), with 80% of the games won/lost in that sequence seeing the winner on the day keep a clean sheet. At home, Benjamin Mora’s men have suffered identical 1-0 defeats warming up for this clash after going unbeaten in their previous 20 home games beforehand (W17, D3).

On the other hand, except for a 3-0 thrashing to Nagoya Grampus on Matchday 2, the visitors have won their remaining two group stage fixtures by at least a two-goal margin. Each of Pohang’s three Group G matches has featured goals in both halves, with two of them witnessing the opening goal scored within 20 minutes of play. Interestingly, after drawing four consecutive competitive games, none of Pohang’s last seven fixtures have ended level (W5, L2), with four of them yielding a winning/losing margin of 2+ goals. Since playing out a 1-1 draw with domestic rivals Incheon United in early May, Kim Gi-dong’s men have alternated between winning and losing in their subsequent four road trips in all competitions (W2, L2), with three of them seeing the victor score 3+ goals.