Shandong Taishan vs Changchun Yatai FC Prediction: Both Teams Looking To Start The Season On A Positive Note

The China Super League begins its first round of matches this Friday as Shandong Taishan hosts Changchun Yatai FC at the Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium. Shandong Taishan will aim to secure maximum points and start the season positively with the advantage of playing at home.

Let's have a look at the latest Chinese Super League predictions between Shandong Taishan vs. Changchun Yatai FC, match facts, head-to-head statistics and betting odds for you to consider!

Note: Odds are subject to change at any time! 

Shandong Taishan had a pretty decent campaign in the previous season, although it fell short of expectations as they opted for a second-place finish for the second consecutive season. In a highly competitive league, Choi Kang-hee and his wards were expected to clinch the title, having failed to do so in the 2021/22 season, where a goal difference robbed them of a golden opportunity, thus losing the league title to Wuhan Three Towns. 

Following the conclusion of the 2022–23 season, Shandong Taishan redirected their attention to the AFC Champions League and FA Cup. Despite losing the FA Cup final to Shanghai Shenhua on the road, they displayed an impressive performance in the AFC Champions League to book their spot in the quarterfinals. They clinched a 4-2 victory against Kawasaki Frontale in the second leg of the round of 16 in their latest match and enter this match brimming with confidence to kickstart the season on a positive note. 

Changchun Yatai FC had a decent campaign in the previous season, as they finished in ninth place with 39 points, sixteen points adrift of an AFC Champions League qualifier spot. This was a great achievement for Changchun Yatai considering their 13th-place finish in the 2021/22 season with 44 points. 

In preparation for this upcoming competitive match, Changchun Yatai have not engaged in any friendly games since the conclusion of the 2022–23 China Super League season, leaving them rusty. Having acquired the services of Robert Beric from Tianjin Teda and the notable €150k signing of Nenad Lukic from Honvéd, Chen Yang is poised to aim for greater heights this season.

• Shandong Taishan have won two of their last five matches across all competitions.
• Changchun Yatai FC have won one of their last ten away matches in the Super League.
• Shandong Taishan averages 2.6 goals per game when playing at home, and Changchun Yatai FC averages 1.2 goals per game when playing away.

In the last 27 meetings, Shandong Taishan has won 18 times, Changchun Yatai FC has won 3 times, and there have been 6 draws, with the goal difference being 50-22 in favor of Shandong Taishan. 

Last season was another scenario of being unlucky for Shandong Taishan in their bid for clinching the league title. This season they've set the bar high despite their star player Marouane Fellaini announcing his retirement from football earlier this season. Having acquired the services of Zeca from Pohang for €1.9m, Kang-hee Choi will hope that will be enough to fill the void left by Fellaini.

Changchun Yatai FC were one of the inconsistent sides when it came to playing away last season, recording four wins in their last fifteen matches, and could likely struggle in this one. However, despite that, this could turn out to be a tough one to call. Therefore, we anticipate backing both teams to find the back of the net in this one, as this has been the case in four of their last six meetings.

• Both Teams To Score - Yes for 1.80
• Corners - Over 9.5 for 1.85
• Total - Under 3.5 for 1.69