Jeonbuk Motors vs Kitchee

Jeonbuk Motors will be desperate to get back to winning ways when they encounter Kitchee at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium in their 2023/24 AFC Champions League opener.

Things are not going well for Jeonbuk Motors in the K League 1 as an underwhelming run of five consecutive league games without winning (D3, L2) leaves them level on points with 7th-placed Incheon United. With their bid to secure the playoffs hanging by a thread, the nine-time South Korean champions may see this fixture as a welcoming distraction, especially considering they’ve thumped Kitchee in both previous Champions League H2Hs by an aggregate score of 9-0, netting 3+ goals on both occasions. However, scoring has been a massive issue for the ‘Warriors’ lately, with Dan Petrescu’s side finding the net just three times in their last five competitive outings. But since two of those three strikes came before halftime, Jeonbuk could come flying out of the traps here.

In the meantime, Kitchee’s third consecutive appearance in the Champions League group stages arrives on the back of an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at domestic rivals Lee Man Warriors, which halted their 100% two-game league start in heartbreaking fashion. Kitchee’s early league games have been enjoyable to watch, with each producing over 2.5 goals at an average of five per match. Some early action could be on the cards, with Kitchee’s last two outings featuring 3+ first-half goals. Friendlies excluded, just one of the visitors’ eight away fixtures since late January has ended level (W5, L2). It’s worth mentioning that the ‘Bluewaves’ netted 3+ goals in four of their five victories during that sequence.