2026 K League 1 Round 11 Preview | OneFootball

Round 11 of the 2026 K League 1 season is headlined by one of the competition’s fiercest rivalries, as Ulsan HD and Pohang Steelers meet in the first East Coast Derby of the current campaign. Elsewhere, FC Anyang look to build on an emphatic victory and push for consecutive wins, while Incheon United aim to continue their rise up the table with a third straight win in sight.

Match of the Round

First East Coast Derby of 2026 

Round 11 features the first East Coast Derby of the season, as well as the first managerial meeting between Ulsan’s Kim Hyun-seok and Pohang’s Park Tae-ha. Both managers were key figures in this fixture during their playing days and now face off once again as head coaches of their respective former clubs.

Ulsan, under Kim Hyun-seok in his first season in charge, currently sit second with 17 points, despite the recent heavh home loss to Daejeon Hana Citizen. Their recent form has been driven largely by attacking output, with goals coming from a variety of sources, including Yago Cariello (five), Marcao (four), and Lee Dong-gyeong (three). In addition, Ulsan have shown strength in physical attacking situations, ranking second in attacking third ground duels won (49.1% per cent) and third in aerial duels won (51.9%), making effective use of their tall forwards such as Yago, Marcao, and Heo Yool. Ulsan will be aiming to close the gap on league leaders Seoul with a win.

Pohang (9th, 12 points) will look to use this round as an opportunity to turn their form around. They have recorded one win and three losses in their last four matches and have struggled for consistent scoring options beyond Lee Ho-jae (six goals). While their build-up play remains solid, reflected in an average possession of 54.3% (third in the league), they have found it difficult to convert that into goals. Against rivals Ulsan, Pohang will look to shift momentum, with attacking players such as Jorge Teixeira and Juninho Rocha - both still searching for their first goals of the season - key to that effort.

The first East Coast Derby of the season takes place on Saturday, May 2nd at 2 PM at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium.

Team of the Round

Free-scoring FC Anyang

FC Anyang (4th, 14 points) recorded an emphatic 5-2 win over Gwangju FC in Round 10 and will now be aiming for their first consecutive wins of the season.

Prior to this, Anyang had only scored more than once in a match on one occasion this season, in a 2-1 win over Jeju SK in Round 2. However, in their most recent outing, goals were shared across the squad, with Breno Herculano, Kim Jeong-hyun, Thomas Oude Kotte, Kim Un, and Airton Moises all getting on the scoresheet, highlighting a more varied attacking approach. As a result, Anyang now sit fourth in the table and third in the scoring rankings, continuing their upward trajectory.

Defensively, however, reducing goals conceded remains a key task. Aside from a 1-0 win over Pohang in round eight, Anyang have conceded in every match this season. While they secured victory against Gwangju, they still allowed two goals, underlining areas for improvement. Greater stability from the central defensive trio of Lee Chang-yong, Kwon Kyung-won, and Kim Young-chan could prove decisive as they look to build momentum.

Anyang face Bucheon FC 1995  in Round 11, with the two sides meeting for the first time this season on Saturday, May 2nd at 7 PM at Anyang Sports Complex.

Player of the Round

Incheon’s nidfield 'anchor' Seo Jae-min

Incheon United (fifth, 14 points) extended their winning run with a 1-0 victory over Jeju in Round 10. After going winless in their opening four matches of the season (one draw, three losses), Incheon turned their form around with a 1-0 win over Anyang in Round 5. They have since recorded four wins, one draw, and one loss in their last six matches and now aim for a third consecutive victory.

At the centre of this resurgence is new signing Seo Jae-min. A product of FC Seoul’s youth system, joining the club in 2022, but did not make a first-team appearance, Seo then moved to Seoul E-Land in K League 2 in 2024, where he established himself as a regular starter and won the Young Player Award that season. In 2025, he was also nominated for the K League 2 Best 11 in the midfielder category.

Since joining Incheon this season, Seo has made a strong impact at K League 1 level. He has featured in every match, recording one goal and one assist, while also posting a high pass success rate (87.3%) and a team-high 12 key passes. Notably, he has topped the ‘Round Best Runner’ category - awarded to the player with the highest distance covered - on six occasions, underlining his work rate and stamina.

Incheon face Gangwon FC in Round 11, with their first meeting of the season taking place on Saturday, May 2nd at 4:30 PM at Incheon Football Stadium.

2026 K League 1 Round 11 Fixtures

Saturday 2nd May

FC Seoul vs. Gimcheon Sangmu - 14:00Ulsan HD vs. Pohang Steelers - 14:00 [ENG]Incheon United vs. Gangwon FC - 16:30Jeju SK vs. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors - 16:30 [ENG]FC Anyang vs. Bucheon FC 1995 - 19:00Gwangju FC vs. Daejeon Hana Citizen - 19:00