K League Preview: Top-of-the-table Gangwon in high spirits, Gwangju may rotate players with cup fixtures on their mind

At 18:00 on August 18th, the 27th round of K1 League will see Gangwon FC hosting Gwangju FC at home.

The home team, Gangwon FC, won against Gyeongju KHNP in their last match, securing three consecutive victories and taking sole possession of the top spot in the league table. As the biggest dark horse this season, Gangwon has maintained a good competitive form throughout the season. The tactical philosophy of head coach Yoon Sung-hwan has been well understood by the players, making them strong contenders for the championship trophy this season.

In terms of personnel, central midfielders Kim Ri-seok and Kim Dae-woo continue to be absent. However, the timely return of midfielder Kim Dong-hyun from military service has successfully alleviated the depth issue in this position. New foreign forward Kovacevic scored quickly after joining, and another foreign player Hadzic is also ready to play. Starting full-back Yoon Seok-young has recovered from injury and is ready to play at any time. Forward Gabriel, who has great impact, has started training with the team but is unlikely to feature in this game. Yeom Min-gyeob, who has signed with Tottenham Hotspur but is currently loaned back to Gangwon, was substituted at halftime in the previous game due to no significant issues, and he can play normally in this match.

The away team, Gwangju FC, secured a narrow win against Jeonbuk Hyundai thanks to a moment of brilliance from their foreign player Azani in their last match. They have recently adhered to the “one-nilism” approach, achieving three consecutive wins.

The team has advanced to the semi-finals of the Korean FA Cup, and they will face Ulsan at home in the first leg on the 21st. At this stage of the cup competition, teams often take it seriously. Gwangju is likely to make some rotations in today’s league match to conserve energy for the semi-final.

In terms of personnel, full-back Do Hyun-seok, who underwent surgery previously, is still recovering and cannot participate in this match. Another full-back Lee Min-ki is injured and probably won’t be able to play in today’s game either. Good news is that midfielder Jung Ho-won, who was suspended in the last match, is now available and can return to the starting lineup. Central defender Byeon Jun-soo has recovered from his injury and can play.

In terms of historical encounters, in the last 8 matches, Gangwon has 2 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses, having only a slight disadvantage. Notably, neither side has managed to secure a victory away from home in these 8 encounters.

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