- Daejeon Citizen have won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five games.
- Pohang Steelers have won just one of their six K-League 1 away matches this season (D3, L2).
- Daejeon Citizen have conceded just 0.86 goals per game at home in K-League 1 so far this season.
Steelers will provide a stern test for K-League 1 leaders
Daejeon Citizen enter Tuesday’s game with Pohang Steelers as slight favorites at 2.16 with bookmakers setting the visitors odds at 3.30 for the victory.
The hosts, who are sitting top of K-League 1 with 28 points from 15 games, are likely to edge out the win in this match-up, but it will be a hard-fought contest against a Steelers side that are always a threat.
Furthermore, our Daejeon Citizen vs Pohang Steelers prediction suggests that the match will be tightly contested, considering both teams' recent forms.
Pohang are in sixth place in K-League 1 with 19 points from 14 games and they will need to claim some points on Tuesday to ward off a midtable chasing group.
Daejeon won 3-0 away in their last K-League 1 clash with the Steelers three months ago and could take some psychological advantage from that result.
However, Pohang have won four of the last seven meetings between the clubs, while Daejeon have just one victory to show from that sequence.
Hosts have a mental block against Pohang
Sun-Hong Hwang has introduced structure and discipline to the Citizens’ game since his appointment as head coach in early June.
They play direct, but disciplined soccer, with the ability to play at a fast tempo when they win the ball back and a well-drilled structure to stop the opposition.
This Daejeon Citizen vs Pohang Steelers preview highlights the contrasting tactical approaches, with Daejeon's discipline versus Pohang's aggression.
Pohang, on the other hand, play a high-tempo, aggressive pressing game under Tae-Ha Park’s stewardship, pressing high and taking risks to win the ball back quickly.
Min-Kyu Joo is their main goal threat with eight goals in 15 K-League 1 appearances, while Oberdan has added two goals in five games for Pohang.
In-Kyun Kim has chipped in with two of Daejeon’s five goals in the same period and the visitors will need to be wary of him as much as Joo.
Daejeon have failed to win their last three home matches against Pohang Steelers, so there may be a mental aspect to the result in this game as much as anything.
And, with both sides struggling defensively of late, the ‘Both Teams to Score’ market could offer decent value, according to the Daejeon Citizen vs Pohang Steelers betting tips provided by experts.
Pohang Steelers are winless in their last two away matches and Daejeon have failed to win their last three home matches, which is why we’re taking the slight edge that the bookmakers are giving the hosts in this Daejeon Citizen vs Pohang Steelers prediction.