Sangju Sangmu vs Busan IPark 09/08/20

09 August 2020

Sangju Sangmu and Busan IPark go head-to-head at the Sangju Civic Stadium this weekend in what might as well be a low-scoring K League 1 affair. Indeed, all but one of their last seven top-flight H2Hs have featured under 2.5 goals despite four seeing both sides hit the net.

The hosts have failed to pick up a win in three of their previous four league outings (D2, L1), including the last two – both of which featured over 3.5 goals and both teams scoring. At home in K League 1, it’s been ‘all or nothing’ for Sangju this season (W5, L2). Notably, all five of those victories have yielded a clean sheet and under 2.5 goals in total, with three coming via the identical 1-0 scoreline after a goalless first-half. The ‘clean-sheet’ theme remains vital to Sangju’s hopes of sealing three points here, given four of their five wins in the top-flight H2Hs held at this venue saw them shut out their visitors.

On the other hand, Busan have suffered a dip in form lately, going from two K League 1 victories in a row to three consecutive matches without a win (D1, L2). Each of those four results (wins/losses) saw the winner on the day open the scoring, with three yielding a full-time margin of at least two goals. In turn, all but one Busan’s five away league results this season have produced at least a two-goal margin. But, dismal first-half performances have seen Cho Deok-je’s side winning at halftime only once in six top-flight trips this season (HT: W1, D3, L2). Curiously, they have lost all three of their league away matches that were not level at the break.