Pohang to take revenge against FC Seoul
Pohang Steelers have a score to settle when they face FC Seoul on Friday night. They finished level on points with the capital club last season but missed out on the AFC Champions League on goal difference. Will they take their revenge? Have a read of our preview here:
South Korea’s most successful team looking to recapture former glory
Just four goals, that’s all it was. The side from the coast missed out on a place in the AFC Champions League last season by four measly goals after ending their campaign level on 56 points with FC Seoul.
They will feel hard done by but the they have a perfect chance to right those wrongs when they face the side from the capital on Friday night in Pohang.
The Steelers are one of the K-League’s original clubs and are the most successful in the competition’s history. They have won the AFC Champions League three times and have also collected the domestic title on no fewer than five occasions.
However, they have not finished as champions since 2013 and will be wanting to set things to rights this year.
The squad is talented enough with Serbian attacking midfielder Aleksandar Palocevic the key talent in the side. He was on the scoresheet in the 1-1 draw with Daegu last weekend and was excellent in the opening day victory against Busan.
Target man Stanislav Iljutcenko is an old fashioned, physical forward and he will be the focal point of much of the attacking play.
The Steelers will be confident in what should be a good game to start the weekend.
Capital club hoping for title challenge
Seoul will have been gearing up for a title challenge this season and will not want the global pandemic to be used as an excuse given their ambitions.
However, the opening day defeat at Gangwon suggests they have plenty to work on after a disjointed performance.
Alek Pesic is a key player, scoring ten league goals in 25 games last season.
He is a proven goal scorer having smashed home 25 goals in 35 matches for Red Star in 2018. If he can recapture that sort of form in the K-League then Seoul could be an outside bet for the title.
Their 1-0 win against Gwangju last weekend will have given them a boost but they have not looked great in the opening couple of matches. It's early days, but there has to be more to come from Seoul if they are to match last season's success.
Pohang Steelers v FC Seoul betting tip
Pohang have looked good in the opening two games and will be motivated to win considering how close they came to a third-place finish last season. That is why we are backing Pohang Steelers to win at odds of 2.0 with betfair.
Post bet chat James's Tips:
Pohang Steelers will have to wait to get their revenge, falling to a 2-1 defeat which could end up being very costly at the end of the season.