Market: Shanghai Port win
Odds: 3/5 @
Looking to extend their stay at the top of the Super League standings, Shanghai Port. Will travel to the Jinan Olympic Sports Stadium when they meet Shandong on Saturday lunchtime.
Starting with the hosts, while Shandong might have secured a much-welcomed 2-0 victory away at Nantong Zhiyun on July 21st, Choi Kang-In’s men came crashing back down to earth last weekend. Eventually falling to a 1-0 loss at the hands of Henan Songshan Longmen, they have now registered just a single victory from any of their previous seven Super League appearances. Losing pace in the AFC Champions League chase and currently sat 12 points adrift of finding a route into the top-three, the Jinan-based outfit will certainly be bracing themselves for a heavyweight challenge here. With their recent inconsistent spell underlined by a nightmare 6-0 drumming against Shanghai Shenhua on July 6th, Saturday’s hosts are also seeking some defensive resolve. With just a sole Super League clean sheet to their name over the past six weeks, Shandong will also be worried by their most recent showdown against this weekend’s opponents. Falling to an action-packed 4-3 defeat when they met the title contenders on April 14th, Kang-In’s side are pencilled in as a landslide underdog here.
As for the visitors, making another astonishing statement last weekend as they stormed their way to a remarkable 8-1 romp at home against Nantong, Shanghai are riding a major wave of momentum. Once again leading the chasing at the top of the Super League table and tipped as a standout contender to defend their domestic crown this year, the Red Eagles find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high. Including a 5-0 victory against Qingdao Hainiu on July 21st, Kevin Muscat’s high-flying squad have now won all of their previous 16 consecutive appearances across all competitions. With that remarkable purple patch stemming all the way back to a 1-1 stalemate against local rivals Shanghai Shenhua on April 27th, Saturday’s guests have not suffered a single defeat since opening up the 2024 campaign. Gaining a fearsome reputation for their clinical performances in the final third, Muscat’s men have registered 72 goals in just their 21 Super League matchups so far this season. Continuing to break a string of records this year, Shanghai will simply be looking to lay down another marker here.
Bet: Shanghai Port 3/5 to beat Shandong Taishan in Saturday s Chinese Super League matchup @
