▲ Seoul's Klimala on the breakthrough
K League 1 leaders FC Seoul and second-place Jeonbuk Hyundai played to a scoreless draw in their second "Jeonseol Match" of the season after a fierce battle that produced no goals.
In the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 Round 21 away match held at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium on August 1, Seoul and Jeonbuk failed to settle the score, ending in a 0-0 tie.
The point gap between first-place Seoul and second-place Jeonbuk remained at nine points.
Seoul holds a record of 13 wins, 4 draws, and 4 losses for 43 points, while Jeonbuk stands at 9 wins, 7 draws, and 5 losses for 34 points.
Seoul maintained its upper hand against Jeonbuk this season with one win and one draw.
Both Jeonbuk manager Chung Jung-yong and Seoul manager Kim Gi-dong fielded their strongest possible starting lineups.
Manager Chung deployed Kim Seung-sub on the right flank, whom he continues to trust, and started Lee Seung-woo as the left winger.
Gytkjær, who scored his debut goal for Jeonbuk in the previous round, spearheaded Jeonbuk's front line.
Seoul also deployed its two key regular attackers, Klimala and Anderson, at the front.
Babec and Sohn Jung-beom provided support from behind.
Jeonbuk's Kim Ye-gun, who is competing with Sohn Jung-beom for the Young Player Award, started the match on the bench.
Both teams charged aggressively toward each other's goals, but with their attacking edge blunted by the scorching heat, they failed to create many threatening moments.
Cracks began to appear in both teams' defenses as the second half got underway.
However, in the 9th minute of the second half, Jeonbuk's Lee Seung-woo unleashed a right-footed volley from the penalty arc that missed just wide of the left goalpost. One minute later, Seoul's Kim Jin-su fired a left-footed shot from directly in front of the goal area, which was blocked by a defender's foot.
Both teams made changes to their formations in the 15th minute of the second half.
Jeonbuk substituted in Kim Ye-gun and Italo—whose acquisition was announced the previous day—in place of Lee Seung-woo and Kim Seung-sub.
For Seoul, Moon Seon-min replaced Song Min-gyu to take over the left wing attack.
In the 21st minute of the second half, receiving a pass from Moon Seon-min, Sohn Jung-beom unleashed a bold shot from a tight angle on the right, which struck the corner of the goalpost and bounced out.
Despite subsequent player substitutions by both sides, the energy on the pitch struggled to pick up.
In the 55th minute of the second half, a low direct free-kick shot by Italo from the penalty arc aimed under the defensive wall was safely gathered by Seoul goalkeeper Gu Sung-yun, cementing the scoreless draw.
(Photo courtesy of Korea Professional Football League, Yonhap News)
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