Every K League 1 Team's First and Second Round Robin Grades | OneFootball

The 2025 K League 1 table is split into several key battles. The title race is all but over, but there's still AFC Champions League qualification, the top six, and avoiding automatic relegation and the playoffs to fight for. But some teams, if not all, will be in a battle with themselves, a battle to improve on the last two round robins.

With Round 22 done and dusted, the second round robin of the 2025 K League 1 season concludes. Which teams improved on their early-season results, and which ones suffered dips in form?

In order of the K League 1 table heading into Round 23...

1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Jeonbuk, the seemingly champions-elect, have gone from strength to strength and are among a handful of teams that had an even better second round robin than first. A total of six wins wasn't too shabby at all in round robin one, but eight wins and six more points in the second mean the Green Warriors are well clear at the top.

Round Robin 1: 6 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses (21 points from 33)

Round Robin 2: 8 wins, 3 draws (27 points from 33)

2. Daejeon Hana Citizen

No team got more wins in the first round robin than Daejeon, which was enough to see them sit top of the table for a couple of months. But the Purples seemingly swapped wins for draws in the second round robin and won just twice. One of those wins, the 3-2 away victory over Ulsan in Round 18, was brought forward to April, so really, Daejeon only won one match during the time that the second round robin matches were played. The middle third of the regular season proved to be one of disappointment and frustration for the Dajeon faithful, who will be feeling relieved that the Purples were sitting second heading into Round 23.

Round Robin 1: 7 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses (23 points from 33)Round Robin 2: 2 wins*, 7 draws, 2 losses (13 points from 33)

*Round 18 match with Ulsan HD played in April, during first round robin

3. Gimcheon Sangmu

Gimcheon's total number of wins was cut in half in the second round robin compared to the first, and their points total took a big hit with a drop of eight. The solid start saw the army team pick up where they left off last season, but with players completing their military service and fresh batches of recruits arriving, the upheaval seemed to affect the team's fortunes on the pitch.

Round Robin 1: 6 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses (20 points from 33)

Round Robin 2: 3 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses (12 points from 33)

4. FC Seoul

FC Seoul got off to their usual slow start to the season with just three wins in the first round robin, but five wins and just one loss in the second signify a promising upturn. Such form will have FC Seoul fans hopeful of a place in the top three.

Round Robin 1: 3 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses (13 points from 33)Round Robin 2: 5 wins, 5 draws, 1 loss (20 points from 33)

5. Pohang Steelers

Pohang endured a relatively sluggish start to the season but began to turn things around and look to be getting back to their best. In the second round robin, the Steelers earned two more points compared to the first, and picked up one more win.

Round Robin 1: 4 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses (15 points from 33)

Round Robin 2: 5 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses (17 points from 33)

6. Gwangju FC

Gwangju FC are among the handful of teams that saw a drop in points in the second round robin compared to the first. The Griffins earned the same number of wins but swapped a draw with a loss, but with the points totals not too different, it at least shows Gwangju have been consistent.

Round Robin 1: 4 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses (16 points from 33)

Round Robin 2: 4 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses (15 points from 33)

7. Ulsan HD

Ulsan find themselves in a crisis. Even with their game in hand still to play, they won't be able to match the number of wins from the first round robin, nor will the Horangi be able to match their points total. The title now looks out of the question and Ulsan have work to do just to qualify for the AFC Champions League.

Round Robin 1: 5 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses (17 points from 33)Round Robin 2*: 3 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses (13 points from 30)

*Ulsan HD vs. Suwon FC (R20) to be played August 2nd

8. Gangwon FC

Gangwon FC managed to pick up just one point extra in the second round robin compared to the first, having won the same number of games but swapped a defeat for a draw. It's slight progress, nonetheless, and something for Jeong Kyung-ho to build on.

Round Robin 1: 4 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses (14 points from 33)

Round Robin 2: 4 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses (15 points from 33)

9. Jeju SK

Jeju SK improved a tad in the second round robin compared to the first, with one extra win and two fewer losses for four extra points. The islanders sit outside the bottom three after the second round robin and have shown gradual improvement.

Round Robin 1: 3 wins, 2 draws, 6 losses (11 points from 33)Round Robin 2: 4 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses (15 points from 33)

10. FC Anyang

It was very black or white for the Violets in the first third of the season; they either won or they lost and that saw a points total of 15 from 33 available. In the second round robin, though, Anyang were unable to maintain that win record and have had to share points with three teams, meaning a drop in points. Ryu Byeong-hoon's men will have to turn things around in the third round robin, otherwise it might be an instant return to K League 2.

Round Robin 1: 5 wins, 0 draws, 6 losses (15 points from 33)Round Robin 2: 2 wins, 3 draws, 6 losses (9 points from 33)

11. Suwon FC

Suwon FC endured a slow start to the season with just one win and, although they sit second bottom, were at least able to triple their win total in the second round robin compared to the first. There's still one more game to play, too, with the R20 fixture with Ulsan not due to be played until August 2nd so there's still hope of Kim Eun-jung's men adding to their already improved points tally of 11.

Round Robin 1: 1 win, 5 draws, 5 losses (8 points from 33)Round Robin 2*: 3 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses (11 points from 30)

*Ulsan HD vs. Suwon FC (R20) to be played August 2nd

12. Daegu FC

Daegu FC got off to a great start to the season with back-to-back wins, but they've only one one match since, and went the whole of the second round robin without victory. No team picked up fewer points than Daegu did in the second round robin. Worrying times for the Sky Blues faithful.

Round Robin 1: 3 wins, 1 draw, 7 losses (10 points from 33)

Round Robin 2: 0 wins, 4 draws, 7 losses (4 points from 33)

[OFFICIAL: 2025 K League 1 Round 23 Preview]

Things to consider

Teams that played rearranged fixtures with Ulsan will have done so at different points in the season. For instance, Daejeon's 3-2 win over the Horangi in Round 18 was played back in April when the Purples were in a real purple patch of form. Likewise, Ulsan's Round 19 win over Anyang was played before Kim Pan-gon's men fell into a real crisis.

Which teams are above or below average?

The average number of wins in the first round robin was four, meaning that Jeonbuk, Daejeon, Gimcheon, Ulsan, and Anyang were above average, Pohang, Gwangju, and Gangwon were on average, and Seoul, Jeju, Suwon FC, and Daegu were below average.

In the second, the average was 3.58, meaning that Jeonbuk, Seoul, Pohang, Gwangju, Gangwon, and Jeju were all above average, while Daejeon, Gimcheon, Ulsan, Anyang, Suwon, and Daegu were below.

While an average difference of 0.67 in round robin one wins versus round robin two doesn't really explain much, among the teams that saw increases in wins (5), the average is just 1.6. This could mean that a productive third round robin is on the cards, based on the consistency shown in the first two. Two teams (Gwangju and Gangwon) recorded the exact same number of wins (4).

Among the teams that saw drops (5), the average is 3.2, which shows a real drop-off and potentially worrying signs for what's to come in the third round robin, given what might be seen as collapses or teams overperforming initially.

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