Gus Poyet, the manager of Jeonbuk Hyundai, did not let his guard down against bottom-ranked Suwon FC.
Jeonbuk Hyundai will clash with Suwon FC in the Hana Bank K League 1 2025 Round 10 at Suwon World Cup Stadium at 2 p.m. on the 26th. Currently, Jeonbuk is in 4th place with 15 points (4 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses). In contrast, Suwon FC remains in 12th place with 7 points (1 win, 4 draws, 4 losses).
Jeonbuk is riding a wave of momentum led by Compagno and Jeon Jin-woo, who have each scored 5 goals in the league. In particular, Jeon Jin-woo established himself as the core of Jeonbuk's offense by scoring 4 goals in the last 5 matches. Thanks to this, Jeonbuk has netted 13 goals in 9 matches, ranking second in scoring after the league leader Daejeon (17 goals).
In the previous round against Daegu, the stellar performance of Compagno and Jeon Jin-woo shone through. Jeon Jin-woo recorded a multi-goal game, while Compagno scored one, resulting in 3 goals in just the first half. Poyet expressed great satisfaction, noting, "The performance we showed in the first half is the best I expect from Jeonbuk."
The central midfield partnership has also found stability. Kim Jin-kyu, Kang Sang-yoon, and Park Jin-seob are faithfully playing a consolidation role in connecting offense and defense based on their substantial activity and defensive contributions. The defense is boasting solid defensive strength, led by veteran center-back Hong Jeong-ho. They have recorded 3 clean sheets in the last 4 matches.
Before the match, Manager Poyet noted, "It is encouraging that our performance is continuously improving. But we must think realistically. Although Suwon FC is at the bottom, they are unbeaten in their last 4 home games. Furthermore, they have shown good form against higher-ranked teams. We need to approach this realistically."
He added, "Looking at the standings, Jeonbuk seems to have a good atmosphere, while Suwon FC appears to be in a bad situation. However, if you look closer, it could be a challenging match. Suwon FC also possesses potential. We must not underestimate them. While winning today is important, it is crucial to maintain our pace and keep up the momentum."
"The King of Castle Park," Lee Seung-woo has returned to Suwon World Cup Stadium, but he will start on the bench for Jeonbuk. Manager Poyet remarked, "It depends on the flow of the game. The extent of Lee Seung-woo's impact varies with the system. He is a really good player. Utilizing him as a second striker is ideal. If there's an opportunity to change the system, Lee Seung-woo could play in front of his fans. We'll have to see."
Recently, Manager Poyet has consistently used Kim Jin-kyu and Kang Sang-yoon in central midfield. He expressed, "It took time to find the optimal combination. However, for now, I believe the combination of these two players is the most ideal."
On this day, Manager Poyet appeared once again in a shirt. He smiled, saying, "I wore it because the weather was nice. In fact, I don't particularly like coats. I wore one because it was cold. When the weather is like this, I prefer to wear a shirt." He mentioned that he always thought London was the coldest place, but his perspective changed after coming to Korea.
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