Daegu vs. Seongnam – K League 1, September 16, 2020

It has been a rough few months for Daegu as the early season form has seemed to desert it as we near the splitting of the league at 22 games.

More points are needed to secure a top half berth and Wednesday’s opponent is a Seongnam side that will have hopes of making the top six itself.

Daegu is on a terrible run of form but is still fancied by the bookmakers to win this one at home against Seongnam. The Magpies have actually managed a few good results lately though, so I would possibly be thinking about a draw bet – and maybe even an away win – with these odds.

When Daegu beat Suwon at the beginning of August, the Sky Blues climbed to third in the table and looked a shoo-in for the top six at the 22-game mark. But now we are just two games away from that point and the team has only picked up another two points in six games.

There has been a defeat at the hands of Jeonbuk and a draw with Ulsan, but Incheon United has also been able to take three points from Daegu in that time. With five points separating Lee Byung-kuen’s side from seventh place, it should be fine for a top six spot – but there needs to be a resurgence in the last seven games if an AFC Champions League place is to be won.

Seongnam is likely to make it very difficult for Daegu to make inroads on the points gap above it though. The defense has been particularly good once again, with only Ulsan and Jeonbuk conceding fewer goals this season. More goals of its own must be a priority however.

Seongnam has drawn with Sangju Sangmu and beaten Jeonbuk in the last two weeks, so shouldn’t have any fear going into this fixture with a Daegu side that has fallen away dramatically in the last month. The top six would be a huge achievement for the club, but there is still a very good chance that it could happen.

Of the two teams, Seongnam is by far the better over the last few weeks but I’m still not sure that it can overcome the home team on Wednesday because of the lack of firepower.

Although Daegu might not be able to score many goals in the form it is in, the Magpies just don’t trouble opposing goalkeepers. So a draw seems the more likely outcome.