K-League: Can Gangwon Stop Another Slump Against Gwangju?

Gwangju FC vs Gangwon FC

Gangwon FC are on a downward slide once again. The Kodiaks are winless in their last four K-League games, which has seen them drop back to the bottom half of the standings.

Gangwon will be desperate to pick up a much-needed win against another side that’s even farther down in the table: Gwangju FC.

The Griffins currently find themselves third from bottom, although they have picked up two promising results in a row.

The K-League 2020 odds for this match are fairly close, but Gangwon have already ended a winless skid by beating Gwangju and they will like their chances of claiming another win against them.

Talking Points

Gwangju getting some good results

Gwangju FC are slowly turning the corner. After a disastrous run which saw them lose five out of six, they have picked up four points in their last two matches.

They picked up a much-needed 3-1 away win over bottom club Incheon United. And they followed that up with a creditable 1-1 draw away to fourth-placed Pohang Steelers.

Gwangju will even be disappointed that they only got a draw against the Steelers, who stole a point with a 90th-minute equaliser.

Nevertheless, Gwangju should be pleased that they limited Pohang’s attack, which is the second most prolific in the league, to just 10 total shots and three on target.

The Griffins have found it tough to score goals this season. They have just 14 goals in 15 matches, tied for the fourth-fewest in the league.

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Brazilian forward Felipe has done his part with eight goals, which is tied for the fourth-highest in the league. But he just hasn’t gotten the support from his team-mates offensively.

Gwangju have also had their problems at the back, but they have improved somewhat in recent weeks. They’ve conceded just three goals in their last four outings after giving up 10 in their previous three.

Gangwon back in a slump

Gangwon FC’s K-League 2020 results are in decline once again. The Kodiaks suffered a shock 2-0 defeat away to relegation strugglers FC Seoul last weekend, which extended their current winless run to four matches. They’ve also now won just once in their last nine.

Granted, they’ve had tough matches against leaders Ulsan, which they lost, and third-place Sangju Sangmu, which they came back to draw 2-2.

But still, Kim Byung-Soo’s side has been largely disappointing this season on both ends of the pitch. They have scored only 18 goals and have just two goals in their last four matches. They couldn’t even find the net against FC Seoul’s league-worst defence.

Gangwon’s backline has been an even bigger weakness; they are tied for the second-worst defensive record in the league, conceding 24 goals.

Gangwon’s struggles this season have been especially pronounced away from home. They’ve collected just five points away from home, with just one win and five defeats in eight. Only Incheon United have a worse away record.

Although, Gangwon should take confidence in the fact that Byung-soo ball has worked incredibly well against Gwangju this season.

History

Gangwon have absolutely dominated Gwangju this season. They’ve scored four goals against the Griffins in each of their first two meetings.

Gangwon thrashed Gwangju 4-1 at home in their first league matchup, which snapped their run of four straight defeats. Jae-Wan Cho bagged a brace to lead Gangwon, while Felipe got Gwangju’s only goal.

And just a few days later, they once again thumped the Griffins 4-2 in the Korean FA Cup, this time at Gwangju.

Prior to those two meetings this season, the two clubs last met in the 2017 campaign, where they draw all three of their matches.

Betting Tip

	Gwangju FC vs Gangwon FC	Gangwon FC 1X2 @ 2.31
	August 16, 18:00 (GMT+8)

SBOBET odds for this match have Gangwon FC as slight favourites at 2.31 to beat Gwangju, who are priced at 2.86 at home. Meanwhile, a draw is 3.35.

There’s decent value with Gangwon, who have already proven twice this season that they are the superior side to Gwangju. Despite their recent struggles in front of goal, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Gangwon have scored eight goals in two meetings against the Griffins.

Expect a greater sense of urgency from the Kodiaks as they look to get their disappointing season on track. It remains to be seen whether they are actually capable of producing good results consistently, but I’m fairly confident they can at least claim another win over Gwangju.