Daejeon Citizen returned to K League 1 after finishing as the runners-up in Division 2. The team made a comeback to the league after spending seven years in the K League 2. They have impressed since arrival and are unbeaten in their first four games. Daejeon remains one of the three teams that are unbeaten in the league. This unbeaten start has given them an early boost for survival, and they can also set their sights on winning the league title. As the team has headed into the international break unbeaten, we look at some of the stats behind this unbeaten start.
Getting in the goals
Daejeon Citizen heads into the international break as the joint-highest goalscorer in the league. After scoring a double in the first game, Daejeon players scored three in their second game and the same number of goals in the third game. They create 36.5 positional attacks and three counterattacks per match. Overall, the team averages ten shots per match and has a high accuracy rate of 50%. The above xG map shows that all the goals have been scored towards the corner of the goal. Daejeon Citizens have targeted the right side of the goalkeeper.
The above two visuals show the ball progression zones and the progressive passes that have been attempted by the team. By looking at these visuals, we can observe that Daejeon Citizen players progress from the left flank. These progressive runs have allowed them to attempt progressive passes from that particular side. Daejeon Citizens have kept 48.35% of the ball. During this possession, the team attempts 439.5 passes per match and has an 81.4% accuracy rate. Overall, the team progresses from the centre and from both flanks. However, their preferred side is the left side.
Jin-Hyun Lee has been the creative force in the attack. The attacking midfielder has scored a goal and also has three assists to his name in the league. He will look to add more goals to his tally and create a few for his teammates.
Decent defensive record
Daejeon Citizens’ defence has been decent this season. They have conceded four goals and averaged one goal per match. The team has kept two clean sheets so far. After a clean sheet in the first match, Daejeon Citizen conceded three in the next game. This was followed by another clean sheet, and then they conceded one goal in their last game.
The team won 58.7% of the defensive duels and 41.5% of the aerial duels. They intercept the ball 42.5 times per match and face 12.5 shots. Daejeon Citizen’s goalkeeper has saved 14 shots and prevented a high xG rate of 1.78. Their defence hasn’t been at its best, but a decent record has helped them remain unbeaten.
Daejeon Citizen players have the ability to recover the ball high up on the field. They make 99.5 recoveries per match and 15 inside the opposition half. The above visual shows the high regains made by the team this season. These include 18 dangerous recoveries and 76 counter-pressing recoveries. This shows that the players are always thinking about winning back the ball, and their ability to win the ball high up on the field makes them a dangerous side.
Betting analysis
As per the 1×2 betting odds, Daejeon Citizen’s odds rate will tend to be lower against weaker opponents. However, since the team has recently returned to K League 1, there are chances that the odds rate might rise against some of the better teams on paper. As per the over/under lines, the over is thriving in recent matches.
Daejeon Citizen have made a positive start to their current campaign. They are sitting in the top three and have impressed in both attack and defence. Daejeon Citizen will look to extend their unbeaten run when they face FC Seoul next in the league.
Visuals via Wyscout and the TFA data viz engine
