We continue to fly through the Chinese Super League campaign as teams across the top tier attempt to push towards their ultimate goal - whether it be the title, survival or somewhere in between. Today, we’ll be taking a look at an important clash between Shijiazhuang YJ and Dalian Aerbin.
Shijiazhuang Form GuideThey’re hardly setting the world on fire, but in many ways, that’s what was expected of Shijiazhuang YJ. They just haven’t quite been able to get up and running in a dangerous manner, but the strange part is that they do tend to look competitive even when they lose. If they continue to have high spirits, as cliche as it sounds, it could be the catalyst to a turning point for them.
They may have lost 3-0 to Shanghai a few weeks back, but Shijiazhuang have been able to bounce back nicely. They first edged past Nantong with a 2-1 win, before muscling their way through Shenzhen in a 1-0 victory.
Dalian Form GuideThey’ve won just two games all season and yet, given the quality (or lack of) the sides around them, there’s still a decent chance that Dalian could survive. They are the definition of ultimate underdogs in every way imaginable and even though they have a few flair players that could cause some problems here and there, it’ll take a tremendous effort for them to stay in the big time.
After suffering back-to-back losses at the hands of Chengdu and Meizhou, Dalian supporters were left to wonder where their next win would come from. Then, in the blink of an eye, they pulled out a stunning 2-1 win over Shenhua to regain a bit of confidence.
Match PredictionIt’s so hard to back Dalian to do anything positive, even after they’ve picked up a good result lately. The hosts just look and feel like a far more complete team and although they aren’t perfect, they’re definitely an easier side to favour. Therefore, we’re going for a Shijiazhuang win.
