Another week of scintillating Chinese Super League action is on the way as we continue on through the summer. There’s a whole lot of action to get through at both ends of the table, and today, we’ll be taking a look at what should be an interesting clash between Shanghai Port and Shijiazhuang YJ.
Shanghai Form GuideThe table doesn’t lie and for Shanghai Port, it says that they’re currently the best team in the league. They have the most points, they’re the most consistent, and they have the best goal difference. They’ve been in this position before and they’ll want to be wary of avoiding complacency, but they’d still be right to feel optimistic about what could lie ahead, with the battle of Shanghai being the big story here.
Shanghai have all the makings of a team that is on its way to winning the title. They were held to a draw by Shandong and Dalian at the start of the month which was hardly ideal, but they’ve since bounced back by dominating Wuhan and Shenzhen in the space of just four days.
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.
It’s been a pleasantly surprising unbeaten start to the month for Shijiazhuang thus far. They beat Hangzhou, drew with Qingdao, picked up another point against Tianjin and then edged past Chengdu at home just a matter of days ago.
Match PredictionWe’re looking at two teams in very different positions right now, but as we’ve said so often, momentum can play a real role in how a game in this league pans out. The hosts are just flying right now and although the visitors will likely put up a great fight, we’re still backing a Shanghai win here.
