For the first time in three years, Incheon United find themselves in the lower half of the table at the end of Round 33. After a disastrous season, the Blue-Black sit bottom of the pile, three points adrift of Daejeon in 11th and six points behind Daegu in 9th place. This weekend, they welcome Jeju United to Sungui Arena in what is a must-win game.
Incheon have won seven games so far this season and have failed to win back-to-back games this year. Along with this weekend’s visitors, they also have the lowest goal tally, averaging less than a goal a game.
In the immediate five games before the split, Incheon managed one win: a late victory at the end of August when they visited Daegu. Since then, they’ve picked up a solitary point in a 0-0 draw with Ulsan Hyundai and have lost to Gimcheon Sangmu, Pohang Steelers, and Gangwon.
Their visitors have performed better, winning three of their last five games against Gimcheon, Gwangju, and Daejeon Hana Citizen. The Tangerines lost comprehensively at home to Daegu and also in their last away game against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in a close affair. Jeju’s strength this year has been avoiding draws, picking up a solitary point on only two occasions this year.
Early Team News
Incheon go into this game missing Matej Jonjic, after the Croatian defender was sent off in the last game against Gangwon. It is expected that Harrison Delbridge will be selected in his place, following his return to training after an injury layoff.
Additionally, Stefan Mugosa featured twice for Montenegro during the international window. He came on as a 76th-minute substitute in a 1-0 defeat against Turkey, before starting against Wales and being substituted at half time. It will be interesting to see if coach Choi Young-geun sticks to his policy of not selecting him following his return from internationals.
With Jonjic definitely out and Mugosa potentially on the bench, it could be an opportunity for Paul-Jose M’Poku to make a difference. Despite putting in good performances, the Congolese midfielder has seen his minutes limited due to the league’s restrictions regarding non-Korean players. Given that this shouldn’t be a problem this weekend, it would be good for M’Poku to get a full game to show what he can do.
The clubs have met 40 times in all competitions, with Incheon winning 11 games to Jeju’s 16 games. This season, the clubs have met three times: once in Incheon at the beginning of the season, and twice on the island.
In April, the first game of the year between the sides saw Jeju secure a 1-0 win in a game marred by VAR and refereeing controversy. The first of the return fixtures took place in June, with Jeju repeating the feat in a game where Incheon failed to have a shot on target throughout. Most recently, Incheon picked up three points in a hard-fought win in which Durumi talisman Stefan Mugosa scored in the 93rd minute.
Incheon’s last home win in this fixture came just over a year ago, at the end of September 2023 when another late goal – this time from Hernandes, now at Jeonbuk – was the difference between the sides.
Who to Watch
With Incheon in desperate need of points and goals, it is likely Gerso Fernandes will spearhead the home side’s attack. The Portuguese forward has struggled with injuries this year but will be looking to make up for lost time as he faces his former club. Gerso has managed three goals and three assists from 13 starts this campaign. He was the top scorer for Incheon last year, managing 14 goal contributions last season, with seven goals and seven assists. At the bottom of the table and with time running out for Incheon, the fans will hope Gerso can rediscover some of last year’s form.
The Run-In
After this weekend, Incheon face Gwangju at home and then travel to Jeonbuk Hyundai in early November. The following weekend, they welcome Daejeon to Sungui, before finishing the campaign with a trip to Daegu, just as they did last year.
Jeju have two home matches and two away matches after this weekend’s clash. The Islanders welcome Jeonbuk next, before travelling to Daegu. There’s one final home match against Gwangju before they finish the season with a trip to Daejeon.
Things are looking bleak for Incheon. With a lack of goals from the attack and a defence that has consistently been exposed, relegation looks more than likely. Even a win this weekend wouldn’t lift the club from the bottom of the table. The best the fans can hope for at this stage seems to be a play-off against a K League 2 club. Conversely, with Jeju sitting on 41 points and in 8th position in the league, they are unlikely to be dragged into any serious relegation trouble. If they can continue to pick up points, they should be safe sooner rather than later.
