▲ Daejeon and Jeonbuk face off in a previous match.
With FC Seoul claiming the top spot in K League 1 for the first time in 10 years, the final stretch between the top five teams in Final A to secure second place begins this weekend.
Hana Bank K League 1 2026 enters its final round following the conclusion of the 33rd round, splitting teams into Final A (ranks 1-6) and Final B (ranks 7-12) to play five matches each starting this weekend.
While attention in Final A is usually focused on crowning the season champion, the excitement has waned somewhat after Seoul secured the title early in the 33rd round with 67 points.
However, the race for qualification tickets to the 2027-2028 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League remains wide open.
South Korea has been allocated three direct qualification spots for the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE), one playoff spot, and one spot for the AFC Champions League 2 (ACL2).
As a rule, the top two teams in K League 1 and the Korea Cup winner (if finishing within the top four of K League 1) advance directly to the ACLE, while the third-placed K League 1 team enters the playoff and the fourth-placed team participates in ACL2.
Although various variables remain—such as South Korean teams' performances in this season's ACLE and the Korea Cup winner's K League standing—the team finishing second in K League 1 is heavily favored to secure a direct ticket to the next season's ACLE.
This is why, despite the championship race being over, the battle for second place is fiercely contested.
Currently, only five points separate second-place Ulsan HD (51 points) and sixth-place Incheon United (46 points).
Every single match result could dramatically shift the competitive landscape surrounding the AFC Champions League berths.
In the opening 34th round of the final phase, particular attention is drawn to the matchup between third-place Daejeon Hana Citizen (49 points) and fourth-place Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (48 points), who are separated by just a single point.
The two sides will clash at 2:00 PM on October 31 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonbuk's home turf.
Physical fatigue is expected to be a variable, as both teams played ACLE matches on October 27.
In their three encounters earlier this season, Daejeon and Jeonbuk split their records evenly with one win, one draw, and one loss.
Daejeon enters with strong momentum, riding a seven-match unbeaten streak in the league (five wins, two draws) that includes three consecutive victories, while displaying late-game resilience by scoring in the dying minutes of their last five matches to secure points.
Notably boasting the league's second-highest scoring offense (53 goals) behind champion Seoul (61 goals), Daejeon's strength lies in its diverse scoring options, featuring Jung Jae-hee (8 goals), Diogo, Joo Min-kyu (7 goals each), and Seo Jin-su (6 goals).
In response, Jeonbuk pins its hopes once again on Tiago, who has surged forward with goals in four consecutive matches (6 goals total).
However, Jeonbuk faces minor setbacks as they return from an away trip to Beijing, China during the mid-week, and key midfielder Kim Jin-gyu will miss the upcoming match against Daejeon due to accumulated yellow cards.
At 2:00 PM on November 1 at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, second-place Ulsan will face fifth-place Gangwon FC (48 points), trailing by three points.
Gangwon holds the upper hand in this season's head-to-head matchups with two wins and one loss.
Ulsan aims to avenge its two consecutive losses against Gangwon, relying on Lee Dong-gyeong—who has recorded attacking points in six straight matches (3 goals, 5 assists) bringing his season total to 12 goals and 13 assists—along with Yago, who leads the league scoring charts with 16 goals (and 1 assist).
Gangwon, making its third consecutive appearance in Final A, faces a relatively unfavorable schedule as they must first host Kuching City (Malaysia) in a 2026-2027 ACL2 group stage home match on October 29 before taking on Ulsan, making the management of player fatigue a crucial factor.
In Final B, bottom-placed Gwangju FC (21 points), striving for a miraculous stay in the top flight, will face tenth-placed Gimcheon Sangmu (34 points) at 4:00 PM on October 31 at Gwangju World Cup Stadium.
If eleventh-place Bucheon FC (32 points), which holds an 11-point lead, secures just 5 points across their remaining five matches, Gwangju's last-place finish will be mathematically confirmed, sending them to the relegation playoffs against a K League 2 team.
Nevertheless, Gwangju keeps its slim hopes alive of escaping the cellar, propelled by Yidel, who has found the net in each of the last five matches with 7 goals total, and Ba Loua, who has contributed 3 goals and 4 assists.
It remains to be seen whether Gwangju, having recorded three draws in all three encounters against Gimcheon this season, can secure a victory in their final meeting and keep their survival dream alive.
(Photo provided by Korea Professional Football League, Yonhap News)
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