It is a top-four clash on Saturday in the K-League as fourth-placed Pohang Steelers host second-placed Ulsan Hyundai. Just one point separates the two rivals and a win could send one of the two sides to the top of the table depending on Jeonbuk’s result versus FC Seoul.
Ulsan are one of just two K-League teams not to lose this season. After four matchdays, the Horangi have taken eight points from 12 possible. Third-placed Seongnam are also unbeaten and level on points with Ulsan.
The Horangi are coming off of back to back league draws which dented their momentum from consecutive wins from matchdays 1 and 2. Ulsan have experienced back to back 1-1 draws versus Busan IPark and Gwangju.
Pohang Steelers are coming off of an emphatic 4-1 win versus Incheon United. It was the club’s second victory of the season. Pohang Steelers have gained all eight points versus teams near the bottom of the table.
Manager Kim Gi Dong’s team have collected all of their points against teams in ninth place or lower. In comparison, Ulsan have dropped points in consecutive weeks against the K-League's 10th and 12th-placed teams. Manager Kim Do Hoon’s team are suddenly struggling for form.
Ulsan have the K-League's top scorer as Junior Negao has bagged five goals in four games. Negao has registered 55% of Ulsan’s scoring.
The Horangi are the K-League's leading scoring team going into matchday 5 with nine goals. They have only managed two goals over their last 180 minutes of football, however.
Pohang Steelers have been almost as good in attack registering the league’s second-most goals (eight). Dong’s team have a two-headed attack as Stanislav Iljutcenko (three) and Aleksandar Palocevic (two) have combined for five goals.
Palocevic has also added two assists and is currently rated as the K-League's best attacking player after four matches. With two high-scoring teams meeting in Pohang, can we expect a high-scoring game? Not exactly.
The two rivals’ defences should cancel out their attacks. Pohang Steelers are facing off with a far stronger team than they have played in recent weeks. Ulsan, on the other hand, will need to be at their best defensively to stop Iljutcenko and Palocevic.
Pohang Steelers have won their last two games versus Ulsan. However, the Horangi are unbeaten in 29 of their last 32 K-League matches.
Saturday’s fixture should see the two sides cancel each other out in a low-scoring (under 2.5 goals) game. Pohang Steelers and Ulsan should finish level with a draw and stay separated by a mere point in the table.
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