Key Matches in the Key Races: Alternative K League 1 Round 25 Preview | OneFootball

The 2025 K League 1 season can be broken into a handful of key races, perhaps even fewer for those who see the title race more or less sewn up. But what are the key matches in the key races this weekend? An alternative preview looking ahead to 2025 Hana Bank K League 1 Round 24.

Top 4 Race

FC Seoul vs. Daegu FC

Friday 8th August - 19:30

With the friendly with Barcelona now out of the way, attention can now turn to the league and FC Seoul's pursuit of a place in the top four. Seoul have given themselves an excellent chance of finishing as high as second this season, after a run of two defeats in 13 with six wins, and face a Daegu FC side this Friday night that has won just three matches all season, lost three on the spin, and hasn't won since May 3rd, 14 matches ago.

With Seoul not likely to drop points to Daegu, Friday's match will be key for the top four race. The capital club's main rivals for AFC Champions League Elite qualification will know that they can ill afford to drop points. Daegu are now 13 points adrift of 11th place, leaving Kim Byung-soo - who is still looking for his first win as manager - with a big hill to climb just to qualify for the relegation playoffs.

FC Seoul won the first two meetings this season, the first proved to be something of a modern classic. Two Seoul goals in time added on turned the game on its head, with Jeong Chi-in's 80th-minute strike having given Daegu the lead. The second meeting will be remembered by FC Seoul fans for Marko Dugandzic breaking his Seoul duck. With this clash taking place on Friday, Seoul have the chance to steal a march on their top four rivals but would need to win and score five or more to move up a place in the table. Goals remain a bit of an issue for Seoul, who have only won by a two-goal margin or more on two occasions this season. Their goal tally of 27 is the fourth-lowest but an xG of 39.7 is the highest and also provides some hope for Seoul fans that things will begin to even out in front of goal. Daegu's xGA is 40.8 is the highest, as is the 45 goals conceded.

Race for Final A

Pohang Steelers vs. Gwangju FC

Sunday 10th August - 19:00

Pohang Steelers' struggle for consistency is putting their hopes of a place in the top six at risk. The same can be said about Gwangju FC who sit just one place below Pohang, three points behind, and with just a one-point lead over Ulsan in seventh. Just four points separate sixth from 10th, meaning it is becoming imperative that the top six-chasing teams put together a string of positive results. Sunday's clash with serve as a good test for both in terms of where their ambitions lie. Pohang returned to winning ways last time out, but that was against last-place Daegu by a single goal to nil and a penalty. Before that, the Steelers had lost three on the spin.

Gwangju, meanwhile, are without a win in their last three. It was a Final B finish for Gwangju last year and Lee Jung-hyo will not want a repeat of that. Both teams have negative goal differences, indicating that scoring goals is a problem, but also that too many goals are being conceded at the other end, at least for Pohang, who have conceded 12 in their last four matches alone. Gwangju, who look to be without leading scorer Jasir Asani, will have to find a way to win without their key man. That said, Gwangju's last four wins have been by a single goal, with Asani not on the score sheet in three of them. The Griffins beat Pohang in their last trip to the Steel Yard via a Park In-hyeok goal.

Relegation Battle

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors vs. FC Anyang

Friday 8th August - 19:30

With Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors being the runaway league leaders, sitting 15 points clear at the top of the table, Friday's clash at Jeonju Castle will mainly be about whether FC Anyang can arrest their slide. The Violets have lost four out of their five and have slipped to 11th place. They are, however, only three points from absolute safety, and of their eight wins, four have come away from home. But Anyang will need to start beating the teams above them, but only three of their total wins have come against teams above them in the table (R5 vs. Daegu, R7 vs. Gangwon, R16 vs. Gangwon). Last time out, Anyang lost 2-1 to Suwon, and will need to bounce back if they are to take points off a Jeonbuk side that's gone unbeaten in 19 matches.

Suspensions

Kim Dae-woo, Gangwon FC

Caio Marcelo, Daegu FC

Kim Min-hyuk, Ulsan HD

Itaelo Moreira, Jeju SK

Kim Dong-jin, Pohang Steelers

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