FC Seoul vs Seongnam Ilhwa
31 May 1100 BST
Football – South Korea – K League
Pick – Seoul to win by one goal
Bookmaker – Bet365
Odds – 11/4 odds taken at 1400 BST, Thursday 28 May
Table of Contents
Only a point separates Seoul and Seongnam in the early league table but home advantage normally count for plenty for the team that plays at the World Cup Stadium in the nation’s capital.
FC Seoul Preview – Bouncebackability standing Seoul in good stead
Seoul have quickly bounced back from an opening-day defeat at Gangwon. They beat Gwangju in their second match and ran out narrow winners again at Pohang last week.
Choi Yong-soo’s men are a tough proposition on their own patch, even in a largely empty stadium, but Seongnam are proving a tough nut to crack this season so this will be a big test of Seoul’s durability and patience.
Chong Yongsoo’s side have had a largely settled team so far this season and will again look to their overseas players to provide the spark. Spanish midfielder Osmar score the winner against Pohang Steelers last week and they have the option up front of either Brazilian Adriano or Serbia Aleksander Pesic. Park Chu-young also provides plenty of experience to help the younger brigade and has been an ever-present so far. Kim Jin-ya is among the younger brigade hoping for a breakthrough season as the capital’s biggest club look to win the K League for the fourth time in 11 years.
Seongnam Preview – Magpies hoping to soar above their hosts
Victory for Seongnam at the World Cup Stadium would allow them to leap-frog their hosts.
The Magpies have made a very promising start to the campaign and are unbeaten in three matches, though have only won once so far.
Kim Young-kwang has conceded just one goal so far and they appear much improved since the end of last season.
Consistency will be key if they are to be contesting at the right end of the table this year and the early signs are promising. But they quickly need to find a foil for Yang Dong-hyen as the 34-year-old can’t be expected to carry the burden of finding the net on his own, especially if continually asked to fulfil the lone striker role. Tomislav Kis probably needs to step up to the plate for Kim Nam-Il’s team or they will be ever reliant on a miserly defence which has only been breached once so far this year.
Don’t miss out on other Betting Tips & Predictions
Click here for more Betting Tips
Seoul vs Seongnam Betting Advice
Trends – Seoul vs Seongnam Betting Tips
-
- Seoul have won three of their last four matches against today’s opposition in all competitions
- Seoul’s victory last year was their first in five games against Seongnam at home
- There has not been a draw between these teams since 2015
Both of sides will probably be satisfied with their haul of points so far in K League.
Seoul’s back-to-back wins will have restored confidence and they are formidable on home soil. Seongnam have not won since the opening day but have drawn their last two and many will think they can achieve another shut-out (5/2 with Betfred) even though they conceded three in the World Cup Stadium in the corresponding fixture last year and have a modest overall record in the fixture.
