Ulsan Hyundai vs. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Betting Preview – K League 1, October 25, 2020

This is probably the biggest game of the season in South Korea, as Ulsan takes on Jeonbuk at Big Crown with the K League 1 title on the line.

Jeonbuk has won the league in the last three years and snatched it from Ulsan’s grasp on the final day last year. Can the Green Warriors overcome the Horangi once again? 

Unsurprisingly, BetOnline has this game even, with the home side just about the favorite for the win. With the clubs tied on 54 points with just two games to play, it would seem that the draw bet is the one to go for. But with so much pressure on this one game, there is always the possibility that one of the teams will crumble under the intensity of it all.

It had looked as though Ulsan would finally win another title for the first time in 15 years. But last week’s capitulation to local rivals Pohang has completely altered the look of the title race with just two games to go. The 4-0 thrashing at the hands of the Steelers could have a long-lasting effect and manager Kim Do-hoon will need to get his players’ minds back on track after that loss.

Ulsan has led K League 1 for the majority of the season but two of its three defeats have come in games against Jeonbuk and there could be a feeling that the Horangi is destined not to beat its rivals – especially after what happened last year. Ulsan needs to be focused more than ever on Sunday.

Jeonbuk’s players will love all this, of course. The champions had already easily beaten Gwangju 4-1 earlier in the day when the news came through about Ulsan’s loss to Pohang. The confidence in the squad could now be overpowering on Sunday and an important task for manager Jose Morais will be to calm his players down before this game kicks off.

The Portuguese boss has done very well this season, keeping Jeonbuk in the hunt and recruiting well in the summer transfer window to add another element to his side’s way of playing. Jeonbuk’s goals record is still not as good as Ulsan’s though, so a draw is probably not going to be enough on Sunday.

I think that the thrashing Ulsan received last week will have a huge effect on how it plays this weekend – and that can only be good for Jeonbuk’s chances. Even though the Horangi remains top of the league there will still be lingering doubts because of what happened last year. Jeonbuk is likely to be the more composed side and I feel that will ultimately translate into success this weekend.