- Match: Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (2nd, 37 points from 22 games) play Gangwon FC (4th, 32 points from 21 matches) in the K-League 1 2026 at Ulsan-Munsu-Stadium, South Korea.
- Head-to-head: Gangwon beat Ulsan 2-0 at home two months ago, but Ulsan have won two of the last three home meetings between the teams in the K-League 1 2026.
- Recent form: Ulsan Hyundai have won three of their last five games and come into this game following back-to-back victories, but Gangwon FC are a gritty side on the road (W4, D4, L3).
A tough and tricky matchup awaits both teams in South Korea
Form and setup
Ulsan Hyundai are in better form than Gangwon FC, having won three of their last five matches, but Gangwon are a resilient team on the road in the K-League 1 2026, so Sunday's matchup at Ulsan-Munsu-Stadium should be close and cagey.
Tactics and management
Hyun-Seok Kim's men, who he has led since 24 December 2025, have implemented a possession-based approach with selective pressing and plenty of stages to their attacks. They have responded well to their shock 1-0 Korea Cup exit to lower-league Ulsan Citizen with back-to-back K-League 1 wins over FC Anyang (3-1) and Pohang Steelers (2-0 away).
Gangwon will certainly put pressure on Ulsan's build-up and try to make it uncomfortable for the hosts, while the leaders will look to play through the pressure and exploit the space in behind. It should be a classic press vs possession battle, and Gangwon, under Kyung-Ho Chung, use aggressive pressing.
Chung's side are coming off a two-game skid after losing 2-1 to FC Anyang in a K-League 1 away game and 0-3 at home to Bucheon FC 1995. So, in truth, it is hard to call Gangwon's recent form with just one win, two draws and two defeats from the last five.
Ulsan the likelier winners, but don’t discount Gangwon
Ulsan have the better overall record at home in the K-League 1 2026 with five wins, one draw and five losses, which is perhaps a little disappointing for a side with title ambitions. However, they do average 1.64 goals scored and conceded per game at Ulsan-Munsu-Stadium, which points to an open game and a few chances on Sunday.
Gangwon, who travel south averaging 1.00 goals scored and only 0.73 conceded on the road, could easily frustrate the hosts for large periods, so a relatively low-scoring game with not many chances looks the best play. Gangwon are a shade better value in the match result market at 2.45, although Ulsan are only a small step away at 2.7 with the draw at 3.4. With so much evidence to suggest the spoils will be shared in a low-scoring affair, the Under 2.5 goals & Both Teams to Score: No combination at 1.83 and 1.95, respectively, looks the way to go.
Gangwon have the goals to make this tight
Yago Cariello is Ulsan's main goal scorer this season with 11 goals in 19 K-League 1 2026 appearances, but Dong-Gyeong Lee has scored four times in Ulsan's last five. Gangwon are certainly not known as a high-scoring team with Abdalla Halaihal top-scoring in the K-League 1 2026 with seven goals in 21 appearances, but Dae-Won Kim has chipped in with two in the club's last five.
