The K-League 1 is nearing its end. Two more games are left this season. As Ulsan HD won the title in the 36th round held over the weekend, attention is now focusing on the competition to escape from the relegation zone, especially whether Incheon United, the "survival king," survives or not.

The 37th round of the weekend when Incheon plays Daejeon Hana Citizen is literally a cliffhanger for Incheon. As Incheon currently ranks 12th with 36 points, even if it wins the ninth place Daejeon (42 points), it will be demoted to the K-League 2 unconditionally if 11th place Jeonbuk Hyundai (38 points) beats 10th place Daegu FC (40 points). As Incheon is lagging behind Daegu in multiple points, even if Incheon ties with Daegu, if Jeonbuk beats Daegu, it will inevitably suffer a fall.

Incheon has no choice but to win the 37th round unconditionally and wait to see the outcome of the Jeonbuk-Daegu match. If Incheon wins and Jeonbuk loses to Daegu, it could escape from the last place. Eventually, for Incheon, it is the best scenario that Incheon can imagine to win both rounds 37 and 38 and have a playoff with the last luck.

Incheon is leading the match between Daejeon and the opponent team by 2-1 (2-0 wins, 1-0 wins, 1-2 losses) this season. The weapon that Incheon is most looking forward to is the tiptoe of Mugosa, who has scored 15 goals this season. The biggest concern is the lack of reliable attack resources to support Mugosa. After Mugosa, Gerso, who has the second highest number of goals scored by Incheon, has only four goals (four assists).

Daejeon, which has to play away matches in Incheon, has been on the rise since it had no losses in three consecutive matches (two wins and one draw). If Daejeon wins in both rounds 37 and 38, it will stay on its own, and even if it loses in all other matches, it will not come in last place. However, Daejeon cannot afford to let its guard down as it needs to remain in ninth place to avoid the promotion and playoffs, which is unknown what will happen.

The match between Jeonbuk and Daegu is as fierce as the Incheon-Daejeon match. Currently, Jeonbuk ranks 11th with 38 points and Daegu 10th with 40 points. If Jeonbuk catches Daegu at the home game, the ranking will be reversed. If Daegu wins, Daegu may rise to ninth place depending on the result of the Incheon-Daejeon match, escaping from the relegation zone, and Jeonbuk may fall to the bottom.

For Jeonbuk, which boasts the most wins (nine times) in the K League 1, this season is a nightmare itself. The fact that it has to engage in a relegation battle is a situation that Jeonbuk has never experienced before. Jeonbuk can escape from the relegation zone on its own if it wins the remaining two matches unconditionally and loses both the ninth-ranked matches, but this is not a realistic scenario.

In order for Daegu to be eliminated from the relegation zone, it must secure at least one win in the remaining two matches before monitoring the results of Daejeon and Gwangju. If Daegu loses to Jeonbuk, the point gap with Incheon will be narrowed to one point. Coincidentally, Daegu must meet Incheon in the 38th round.

Another concern is Asian Champions League qualification, Pohang-Kimcheon
The Pohang Steelers, ranked fifth with 53 points, are aiming for a successful finish in their last home game of the K League 1 this season. The team will be counterpart Kim Cheon-mu, who is ranked third with 60 points after losing twice in a row. Gimcheon aims to win three consecutive games against Pohang.

Pohang will play a home game against Gimcheon at 2 p.m. on the 10th at Pohang Steelyard. This season, Pohang has no victory against Gimcheon with one draw and two losses. Pohang has no victory in the last four K-League games with three draws and one loss. Although it won 4-2 against Elite Shandong Taitung in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League on the 6th, fatigue is a variable because it is a weekday game. 안전놀이터

Though both the championship and the runner-up have already passed, Pohang will be the last place to secure a berth for the elite players in the AFC Champions League. Three ACLE tickets and one for the ACL2 finals are eligible to play in the 2025-26 AFC Champions League. The K-League 1 and Korea Cup winners (ranking fourth or higher in the K-League) will advance to the ACLE finals, while the K-League 1 runners-up will advance to the ACLE playoffs. The third-ranked team in the K-League 1 will qualify for the ACL2 finals. Another variable is that one of Ulsan-Pohang Steelers who advanced to the final of the Korea Cup will qualify for the ACL as a champion, and if Jeonbuk wins the ACL2, it will qualify for the ACLE Playoff. In addition, Gimcheon is not eligible to play in the ACL regardless of the K-League 1 ranking.

Summarizing the various scenarios, assuming that Pohang will not win the Korea Cup, it will be able to seek a berth in the ALC only when it finishes the season in the fourth place in the K-League 1. Just because the team has moved away from the championship race does not mean that it can afford to be frustrated.

Gimcheon succeeded in reversing the mood by winning the last match against Suwon FC in four games. In addition, Lee Dong-kyung, who failed to play in the 36th round due to accumulated warnings, will return.