Pohang Steelers welcome Busan IPark to the Pohang Steel Yard on Sunday as both sides kick off their 2020 K League 1 campaigns.
Following a delayed start to the new season due to COVID-19, the South Korean top flight finally gets underway this weekend.
Pohang finished 4th last season and narrowly missed out on qualification for the Asian Champions League.
The Steelers ended up level with third-place FC Seoul on 56 points, but their inferior goal difference saw them finish below the club from the capital.
Brazilian Wanderson enjoyed a fine season on a personal level, finishing as the Steelers’ top scorer with 15 K League goals to his name.
However, following Wanderson’s departure, Pohang will be hoping that new signings Manuel Palacios and Stanislav Iljutcenko can fill the void left by the Brazilian.
Overall, the Steelers have won five top-flight titles. But with their last triumph coming back in 2013, they’re had very little to shout about in recent years.
You have to go back even further to find Busan IPark’s last K League title. They have won four in total, but their most recent success came all the way back in 1997.
Following four consecutive years in the second tier, Busan finally gained promotion back to the top flight last season.
They finished second in the K League 2 standings before overcoming FC Anyang and Gyeongnam in the playoffs, securing their long-awaited return to the top tier.
Busan have brought in Brazilian duo Gustavo Vintecinco and Jonatan Reis to hook up with fellow countryman Romulo this season.
Romulo recorded 14 goals and three assists in 2019, and with a century of Busan appearances to his name, he is certainly one to watch this season.
Busan will be looking to hit the ground running in their return season to the top flight, but they will have their work cut out in their opening game.
Pohang haven’t lost any of their previous seven league on home soil, while they have only lost one of their last 12 league games overall.
The two teams haven’t faced each other in the league since 2015, but Pohang have only lost one of their last five league encounters with Busan.
This is set to be a high-scoring affair, with over 3.5 goals expected and both teams to score looking likely.
However, Forebet predicts that Pohan Steerlers will assert their authority and come out on top.