Seoul beat Daegu Hana Citizen 4:2 in the K-League 1 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Friday evening. The hosts moved further clear at the top of the table, extending their unbeaten run to eight across all competitions. And here's the thing — this wasn't the game people expected after those goalless draws.
The opening half brought a yellow card for Anton Kryvotsiuk at 27, and by then the match had found its rhythm. Joo Min-Kyu broke the deadlock at 38, but Daegu responded with three bookings in quick succession — Yun-seong Kang and Seung-Won Jeong at 41 and 42, then Yazan Al-Arab just before half-time. Seoul took a slender lead through P. Klimala at 48, and to be fair, the visitors were already showing signs of frustration.
The second half brought a flurry of changes at 62. M. Ishida, G. Ludwigson, and Joo Min-Kyu were all replaced, and Kim Jin-Su somehow managed an own goal that levelled things at 2-2. Park Soo-Il followed shortly after, and Jin-su Seo picked up a caution at 66. By then, the match had settled into something more open, with both sides looking for answers.
Song Min-Kyu struck twice in the 81st and 83rd minutes to restore Seoul's advantage, though Daegu weren't done yet. Um Won-Sang and J. Son came on at 68 and 69 respectively, and Moon Seon-min was cautioned at 89. Jeong Seung-Won then net two goals in stoppage time at 90 and 90+3, pushing the score to 4-2 before Anderson Oliveira made a late appearance at 90+2.
Seoul dominated possession at 55% and registered 105 attacks compared to 83, yet their conversion rate left something to be desired. Eight shots on target yielded three goals, while Daegu's five on target produced just one. The statistics suggest Seoul were more clinical in the final third, but the visitors' ability to create chances from fewer opportunities tells a different story.
Seoul's recent form had been frustrating, with three consecutive goalless draws before this victory finally broke the streak. Daegu's away record shows they can compete, having drawn twice and won once in their last five matches, but this result consolidates Seoul's position at the top of the table while keeping Daegu firmly in mid-table territory.