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Yes, another round matches is upon us and we have some classic encounters lined up. Both the Guangzhou Derby and the China Derby are taking place over the next couple of days, and we’ll also be able to see if Cangzhou can finally get their first win of the season as they face struggling Qingdao. It should be another enthralling few days of Chinese football so let’s get to it and take a close look at the upcoming matches.
Shandong Taishan v Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic
Saturday, 24th July
Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center Central Stadium, Guangzhou
After picking up a solid 2-0 win against the Cangzhou Mighty Lions on Wednesday, Taishan come up against Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic who will be desperate to break a three game losing streak.
It’s going to be a real uphill battle for Chongqing however to stop this streak extending to four matches. They’ve looked particularly bad defensively as of late and could get torn apart by some of Shandong’s slick attacking play. If Taishan get an early goal then Chongqing could be in real trouble, but if Chongqing can make it through to half-time without conceding then they may be able to scrape a draw.
One to watch – Marouane Fellaini – The ex-Man United midfielder put in a dominant performance against Cangzhou and could well do the same against Chongqing.
Prediction – Shandong make it two in a row with a 2-0 win.
Shenzhen v Henan Songshan Longmen
Saturday, 24th July
Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou
This is going to be one of the most difficult games of the round to call.
Shenzhen have made a strong start to the new phase of the season and will go in as favourites after back-to-back wins against Chongqing and Cangzhou. Henan however have also made a promising return and have really benefited from finally having Fernando Karanga back in the side.
So far this year Shenzhen have generally looked most threatening when they’ve had the ball out wide. A key factor therefore in deciding the outcome of this match is going to be whether or not Henan’s full-backs can effectively contain Shenzhen’s wingers. If Henan can keep a lid on Quintero and Acheampong then they may be able to spring a surprise result.
One to watch – Dilmurat Mawlanniyaz – A big off-season acquisition for Henan, the 23 year old full-back will have a chance to prove his worth on Saturday.
Prediction – A tightly contested 1-1 draw.
Cangzhou Mighty Lions v Qingdao
Saturday, 24th July
Huadu Stadium, Guangzhou
Cangzhou were desperately unlucky to lose to Qingdao in their opening game of the season and will be hoping that they can pick up their first win of the campaign when the two sides meet again on Saturday evening.
They couldn’t have picked a better time to face Qingdao who have been in wretched form since the league’s restart.
Cangzhou should be able dominate the midfield for large spells, but real test for them will be whether they can get the job done in the final third of the pitch and convert possession into goals.
One to watch – Oscar Taty Maritu – The Congolese striker was finally able to return to the squad during the break. With limited other options up front, the Mighty Lions will be looking for him to find the net against Qingdao.
Prediction – Cangzhou finally secure their first win of the season with 1-0 win.
Guangzhou v Guangzhou City
Saturday, 24th July
Yuexiushan Stadium, Guangzhou
The Guangzhou Derby, probably edges the China Derby as the highlight of this round’s fixtures. The red side of Guangzhou will go into this encounter filled with confidence after last Wednesday’s demolition of Qingdao, but will face a much sterner contest as they come up against their inter-city rivals.
Defensively, City are usually good enough to frustrate even the CSL’s best teams and with some quality attacking players in their side they will always pose a threat going forward.
That being said though City have lost five of their last six derby day encounters for a reason. And if you go through both teams man for man, the superiority of the eight-time league champions is clear. City could definitely get something from this game, but it’s definitely not going to be easy.
One to watch – Han Jiaqi – The Guangzhou City goalkeeper has put in a few heroic performances this season and City will need him to be at his best on Saturday.
Prediction – A 2-0 win for the boys in red.
Changchun Yatai v Dalian Pro
Sunday, 25th July
Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre, Suzhou
Changchun pulled off their biggest win and incredibly their fifth clean sheet of the season on Thursday against Beijing Guoan. They’ll face a very different challenge this weekend against Dalian Pro.
Pro have definitely improved since the league restarted, but still look like they are going to remain as one of the Super League’s weakest teams. They’ve had a number of key foreign players return during the break but so far Gonzalez has been reluctant to use them and so it’s difficult to see Pro causing too many problems for Yatai’s rock solid defence.
One to watch – Tan Long – Got his first goal of the season against Guoan and will be looking to get on the score sheet again against Dalian.
Prediction – Changchun ease to a comfortable 2-0 win.
Wuhan v Hebei
Sunday, 25th July
Jiangyin Stadium, Jiangyin
Hebei are definitely lacking in terms of imported foreign talent, however a solid core of local players has helped the club put in a decent showing so far in this year’s CSL season.
Wuhan are in quite the opposite situation. They’ve really struggled to gel as a team and possess a glut of relatively high profile foreign players who so far haven’t performed at the level required.
It’s not easy to say how things will go on Sunday. Wuhan have looked a bit better since the restart and new signing Anderson Lopes should start to make an impact up front once he’s adjusted to the league. If Wuhan do however lose badly to Hebei, it’s probably only going to be a matter of time before they start looking to replace manager Li Xiaopeng.
One to watch – Zhifeng Wang – The latest young talent off Wuhan’s goalkeeper production line, Zhifeng has been one of Wuhan’s few bright spots this season.
Prediction – A 0-0 stalemate.
Shanghai Port v Tianjin Tiger
Sunday, 25th July
Kunshan Stadium, Kunshan
When these two sides last met at the start of the season Port dished a 6-1 drubbing that seemed to confirm everyone’s worst fears that this Tianjin Tiger team was going to be one the Chinese Super League’s all time worst teams.
Thankfully for Tiger these ominous predictions haven’t come true and while they’ve still been pretty poor they’ve managed to pick up the odd result here and there. Expect the Tiger speciality in this match, park the bus with an ultra defensive formation and hope and pray it’s enough to keep Shanghai Port at bay. Spoiler alert: It almost certainly won’t be.
One to watch – Oscar – Will be the key man in breaking down a stubborn Tiger back-line.
Prediction – Port grind out a 3-0 win.
Beijing Guoan v Shanghai Shenhua
Sunday, 25th July
Jiangyin Stadium, Jiangyin
This will be the second China Derby of the season after the two teams met in the CSL’s opening round of matches. Shenhua came away from that game with a surprise 2-1 win in game which set the tone for how both team’s seasons would progress up to this point.
Since then Shenhua have continued to impress and have been surprisingly consistent. Guoan by contrast have made a habit of being consistently disappointing, with some particularly poor results since the league restarted. Slaven Bilic now seems to be using this season to experiment with different players and formations, without a huge focus on results. With this sort of mindset in place we could see Shenhua do the double over Guoan for the first time since the formation of the Super League.
One to watch – Adrian Mierzejewski – The midfield dynamo has been playing well since the restart and could make the difference on Sunday.
Prediction – 2-1, Shenhua hold on for a historic win.
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