The Gyeongin Derby is back, and with Incheon United returning to the top flight as K League 2 champions, the energy at Sungui Arena Park next Saturday will be electric. Tickets are about to sell out at the time of writing for the season opener against FC Seoul, with the match already considered one of the biggest draws of the season. With the stakes high and the atmosphere rising, what can we expect on Saturday?
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Narrative
Speaking to the press during the team’s pre-season camp in Spain, Incheon manager Yoon Jong-hwan discussed the style of play Incheon will use this season: “It won’t be much different from last season, we aim to maintain a dominant style of play with a high degree of ball possession.” Last season, opponents generally allowed Incheon to maintain possession in their own third, and even midfield, with most teams opting for a low block against Incheon’s formidable front line. Incheon’s defenders had plenty of time on the ball and rarely came under pressure; however, as of this season, that is unlikely to be the case.
This sets the stage for an interesting opening match and season, as K League 1 teams are unlikely to offer Incheon the same luxury. Preseason results are not particularly favorable to Incheon; Despite a reporting ban, defeats to Austrian MLS team Wolfsberger and Vancouver Whitecaps were upheld.
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FC Seoul has already kicked off its campaign by playing two AFC Champions League Elite matches this month. The first was a 2-0 defeat against Vissel Kobe in Japan, followed by a 2-2 draw against Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul E-Land. In the opener, Seoul gave up a lot of possession, although neither they nor Kobe had many shots on target. The second game told a different story; Seoul started brightly, scoring two goals in the first half through Patryk Klimala and Naoto Arai.
However, the hosts could not hold on, conceding two goals in added time to allow Hiroshima to take a point from Japan. After the match, Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong said his team was looking to implement new tactics and suggested the late goals were due to poor judgment rather than complacency. Incheon will be hoping for similar errors of concentration and judgment this weekend.
It will likely be a tricky affair as both managers will want to start the league season with a win, but there appears to be more at stake for Kim Ki-dong. Under pressure since last year over its handling of Ki Sung-yueng’s transfer and Seoul’s failure to secure mainland football, any victory against Incheon could trigger further backlash from fans.
New faces
Incheon’s squad has undergone a major overhaul, with around 20 players leaving since the end of the 2025 season. High-profile exits include vice-captain Kim Do-hyeok (Gimpo FC), Shin Jin-ho (Yongin FC), Harrison Delbridge (Melbourne City) and Min Seong-jun (Seoul E-Land).
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Incheon has strengthened itself with three foreign recruits: Juan Ibiza, who comes from Thai giant Buriram United; midfielder Iker Undabarrena, arriving from Johor Darul Ta’zim in Malaysia; and English striker Morgan Ferrier, who brings experience gained in Israel, Thailand and Cyprus. As is the case with many overseas arrivals, how quickly and successfully they adapt to the K League could shape Incheon’s early season success. Incheon will need an immediate impact given the difficult first set of matches.
Among the domestic additions, two stand out: towering defender Jeong Tae-wook and winger Oh Hu-seong. Jeong spent last season on loan at FC Seoul but only managed four appearances. His permanent departure from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors represents a significant coup and a clear statement of intent from Incheon, while also providing the perfect platform for the defender to reinvigorate his career after recent inconsistent seasons. Oh, meanwhile, was a key figure for Gwangju, playing 33 matches (15 starts) and recording four goals and four assists. Now aged 26, he is entering the prime of his career and will have to build on these numbers in blue and black.
Perhaps the most important task for FC Seoul was securing the renewal of the contract of Jordanian defender Yazan Al-Arab, who was holding his future in jeopardy despite lucrative offers from abroad. He is joined by Leonardo Ruiz, who arrived after a prolific 2025 campaign at Seongnam in which he scored 18 goals. Goalkeeper Gu Sung-yun made the cross-city transfer from Seoul E-Land, while Spanish defender Juan Antonio Ros was signed from Tianjin Jinmen Tiger.
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After the departure of Jesse Lingard in December, Seoul turned to Song Min-kyu to take on the role of creative mainstay. The former Jeonbuk man recorded five goals and two assists last season – decent returns, but he will need to double that to match the 14 goals provided by Lingard in 2025.
Key duels
Incheon’s top line of Stefan Mugosa and Gerso Fernandes found goals easy to score last season in K League 2, with Mugosa’s 20 goals securing a second consecutive Golden Boot and Gerso winning the K League 2 MVP award for 2025. But this year the duo will be up against it to repeat last year’s success in attack.
In this weekend’s match, Seoul expects Yazan Al-Arab to return to the heart of Seoul’s defense, after missing the club’s elite Asian Champions League matches earlier in the month. As a result, we will witness a physical confrontation between two experienced international players in Mugosa and Yazan. With the imposing aerial presence of Mugosa and the physicality of Yazan Al-Arab, set pieces from both sides could be decisive. Given the prospect of a typically combative derby, it will be interesting to see how both players handle the pressure and the occasion.
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Korean fans can watch Saturday’s match on JTBC Sports or via Coupang Play. Away fans will be able to tune inK League TVwith kickoff at 2 p.m. KST.
