A chaotic promotion battle is brewing. Suwon hosts Busan, who have the best away win percentage this season, at home.
Suwon Samsung will host Busan I-Park in the 32nd round of the Hana Bank K League 2 2024 at 7:30 p.m. on May 25 at Yongin Mir Stadium. Suwon is currently in fourth place with 12 wins, 8 draws, and 9 losses (44 points), while Busan is in sixth place 안전놀이터 with 12 wins, 7 draws, and 10 losses (43 points).
Suwon is in need of a win. The gap between them and first-place Anyang has widened to 54 points, which is far from automatic promotion. Seoul Eland and Chungnam Asan are both on 48 points, having both won the previous day. A win for Suwon won’t change the standings, but they will need to take three points to keep pace as the results of the top teams are unpredictable.
While the team has been somewhat organized under Byun Sung-hwan, they have lost three games, drawing one and losing two at crucial junctures. Against Seongnam FC, they struggled against a tight defense before a theatrical goal from Lee Ki-Jae snapped a four-match winless streak. For the playoffs, a win against Busan will be crucial to move one step closer to promotion.
It’s good to see Suwon’s offense coming alive. In their last match against Seongnam, they racked up 24 shots and 10 on target. Paulinho is the team’s top scorer with 10 goals and has been the center of a sharp attack, not only scoring goals but also creating threatening moments with his teammates. Mulicic, who missed an early penalty against Seongnam, will also need to restore his confidence with a goal.
Busan will also be looking for a win. A four-match unbeaten run has kept them in the playoff hunt, but they were held to a draw in the ‘Nakdong River Derby’ against Gyeongnam FC, conceding a late equalizer after taking the lead. Sitting in sixth place, Busan is just one point behind Suwon, so a win could see them leapfrog Suwon and move up to fourth place depending on other team results. Having narrowly missed out on promotion last season, Busan will not be taking it easy this time around.
The recent head-to-head record between the two teams is 3 wins, 6 draws, and 1 loss in favor of Suwon. However, Suwon have not beaten Busan in their last three matches, and the two meetings this season have been particularly weak, with Suwon struggling against Busan, drawing 1-1. On top of that, Busan leads the league in away wins with nine wins, two draws, and three losses. With the K League 2 promotion battle heating up as the season draws to a close, it will be interesting to see which team has the last laugh in this one.
