Jeonbuk Motors vs Suwon Bluewings Predictions

• Defending K-League 1 champions Jeonbuk lost just one of their last 18 home matches.
• Jeonbuk beat Suwon to nil in two of the teams three meetings last season.
• Suwon won only once of their last six away league fixtures.
• Jeonbuk were unbeaten in 26 of their last 27 K-League 1 contests overall.

Defending champions look to hit the ground running

On Friday, the long-awaited 2020 K League 1 season kicks into gear in South Korea, when current champions Jeonbuk Motors aim to get their title defence off to the perfect start at home to Suwon Bluwings.

Jeonbuk snatched their third first place finish on the spin last term after a thrilling climax to the season that saw them finish ahead of Ulsan Hyundai on goal difference after a nailbiting Championship Round.

The Green Warriors will be hoping to further extend their dominance over South Korean football in 2020, though Manager Jose Morais heads into the new campaign with a much-changed team.

New faces at Jeonbuk

Two key players from last year, Moon Seon-min and Ricardo Lopes have jumped ship, though South African attacker Lars Veldwijk, reigning league MVP Kim Bo-kyung and young hot-shot Cho Gue-sung should prove astute reinforcements.

Talented defender Koo Ja-ryong is also an interesting recruit – the accomplished 28-year-old was one of Suwon Bluewings best players last season and will line up against his old employers this week.

Jeonbuk’s opponents in Friday’s season opener finished in a disappointing 8^th place in 2019, and as a result missed out on the division’s Championship Round.

However, their campaign finished on an incredibly high note with a 4-0 win in South Korea’s FA Cup final over Daejeon Korail – a victory that secured a place in the Asian Champions League along with their first piece of silverware since 2008.

Head to head record favours hosts

The Bluewings didn’t cover themselves in glory in their three league meetings with Jeonbuk last year, losing twice to nil against the eventual champions in 0-2 and 0-4 defeats, and we think Suwon could struggle again this week against a Green Warriors side determined to put a market down for the new season.

Jeonbuk are an incredibly tough nut to crack, losing just one of their previous 27 K League 1 contests overall during a lengthy period of domestic success, and we think they are generously priced to get their season off to the perfect start on Friday.

The Green Warriors’ powers are particularity potent at home, and their record of one defeat in their last 18 home assignments suggests they should prove too strong for an inconsistent Suwon outfit this week. Alongside our home win prediction, we’re making a 2-0 our correct score forecast.

The champions are generally tough to register against on their own patch and had the division’s best home defensive record in 2019, conceding just 15 times thereall season. Having kept Suwon Bluwings out in two of their last three encounters during the same campaign, we fancy their rock solid rearguard to do the business again on Friday.