Shandong Taishan vs Shanghai Shenhua Prediction: Can The Flower Of Shanghai Do A Double Against The Hosts?

Shandong Taishan will welcome Shanghai Shenhua at the Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium in what promises to be an interesting contest with two sides looking to climb the rankings.

Let's have a look at the latest Chinese Super League predictions between Shandong Taishan vs Shanghai Shenhua, probable lineups, match facts and up to date betting odds for you to consider!

Shandong Taishan

Form: WWWDW

Bending the rules a little to tame the Tianjin tigers was a worthwhile cause that eventually paid off as they recorded a 4-1 victory at home over Tianjin Teda, and a three-pointer was theirs for the taking.

With three wins in a row, the hosts have shown remarkable form, not to mention their offensive style of play, which has been highlighted in their past five matches, in which they have scored fifteen goals while conceding six.

Hao Wei's side are in second place with 56 points, level on points with table leaders Wuhan Three Towns, and that is more than enough for them to keep an eye on them while they patiently wait for any tiny flaws in their form that may allow them to topple them over. They are also 12 points clear of third-placed Shanghai SIPG.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-3-3

W. Dalei (14); S. Long (39), Jadson (4), K. Shi (27), L. Hailong (16); J. Xiang (37), S. Jun-Ho (28), Moises (10); P. Chen (29), Crysan (9), L. Binbin (21)

Shanghai Shenhua

Form: DLDDW

With no desire to achieve a thunderous result on the road against Changchun Yatai, they were restricted to a scoreless tie, and this follows their 1-1 draw at home against struggling side Guangzhou Evergrande, making their performance unconvincing.

While they have only won once with three draws and a loss in their last five matches, those results may be positive from their perspective, realistically speaking, those are the same results that have seen them fall from third place to fourth place with 42 points, which should be marked as negative because they have dropped one place.

For a team that narrowly defeated the hosts last time out, their success has to be questioned at this point or better yet be dismissed as a fluke since they've failed in their four attempts to defeat minnows in the Super League, with their prospects of performing a double against the hosts seeming unlikely.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-4-2

Z. Ma (1); Z. Lu (8), F. Xiaoting (22), J. Yangyang (22), W. Jiabao (38); H. Wang (33), Q. Jiegei (7), W. Xi (12), Y. Hanchao (20); C. Bassogog (17), L. Ruofan (36).

Match Facts

• Shanghai Shenhua has failed to score in one of their past eight Super League road games.
• In the Super League, Shandong Taishan is unbeaten in eight games at home.
• The average number of goals scored in matches between Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Shenhua is 2.
• When playing at home, Shandong Taishan averages 1.89 goals per game, whereas Shanghai Shenhua averages 1.06 goals per game when playing away.

Head-To-Head

Shandong Taishan has won 12 of the last 30 matches, Shanghai Shenhua has won 10, and there have been eight ties with a goal difference of 43-35 in favor of Shandong Taishan.

Expert Betting Tips

Following their defeat at home to Shanghai Shenhua in August, they've gone unbeaten in their last seven games, drawing two and winning five, indicating that the visitors are on their radar this time around and a strong response will be put forth.

Shanghai has made a snail's pace transition, which has hampered their progression in the Super League, as they are one point off the third place they once held, with their lack of finishing finesse being the root problem, making defeat a foregone conclusion as they go up against the hosts.

Shandong Taishan have all the resources they need to overwhelm the visitors, and with home advantage favoring them in recent encounters, a win is more likely than a draw. An early victory should be hassle free for them against a team that has failed to produce more emphatic outcomes against minnows in recent encounters.

• Half-time Result - Shandong Taishan for 2.05
• Goals - Over 2.5 for 1.76
• Both Teams To Score (Yes) for 1.83