Shanghai SIPG vs Chengdu Rongcheng Prediction: A Tight Contest Ahead Which Witnesses The Hosts' With A Lot To Gain

Shanghai SIPG will be striving for third place as they host Chengdu Rongcheng at the Dalian Sports Center Stadium for their 18th matchday of the Super League, hoping to walk away with all three points.

Form: WWDWD

With goals from Cherif Ndiaye and Wang Shenchao in the first half serving as the deciding factors in their recent victory over Guangzhou City, they were able to retain all three points on the spot against a side that didn't bother to even put up a valiant fight.

They had set out to compete for the sixth spot that was rightfully theirs in the super league standings, but they were incredibly fortunate to receive more than they could have imagined, as they are currently in fifth place with 31 points.

Due to their seven-match unbeaten streak, which has resulted in 14 points collected, they are now three points behind Shanghai Shenhua, who are currently third in the standings with 33 points.

In addition, given that this is their first encounter with the hosts, they have undoubtedly observed their unique style of play, which has elevated them above their rivals in terms of competitiveness. As a result, underestimating the hosts won't likely be the best course of action in doing so, as it could result in a shock loss.

Form: DWWLD

With possession at their disposal as they dominated the entire match, the visitors had Henan Jianye eating out of the palm of their hands as they kept knocking for a goal, pressuring them to give in, but they fell short as they were held to a scoreless stalemate and had to settle for a point.

Prior to that, they had secured a 1-0 victory against Changchun Yatai despite being reduced to ten men in the 70th minute of the second half, extending their winning streak to two matches.

They've been quite an opposing opponent as they have amassed a total of 10 points in their previous five games, with only one loss (against Shandong Taishan), three wins, and one tie. This has put them in a more respectable eighth place in the league.

• Shanghai SIPG has failed to score in two of their last six Super League home games.
• Chengdu Rongcheng has scored a goal in each of their last nine games in the Super League.
• Away from home, Shanghai SIPG scores 1 goal on average, while Chengdu Rongcheng scores 1.58 goals on average.
• In the last five Super League matches, Chengdu Rongcheng has not outperformed Shanghai SIPG.

This will be their first Super League meeting.

The hosts' are on their way to gaining a continental position in the super league standings, and with only three points standing in their way, it'll be a tense encounter given that Chengdu Rongcheng are no pushovers.

Chengdu Rongcheng have kept their heads held high in the Super League, attempting to avoid a dip in performance that could have been detrimental, making them worthy opponents to compete with the hosts single-handedly.

Both teams have scored a decent number of goals but have not been particularly prolific, with only six goals scored in their last five matches, which may turn this match into a low-scoring affair given both teams' solid defenses. To avoid further complications, a goal total of less than 2.5 should suffice in this situation.

• Goals - Under 2.5 for 1.78
• Full-time Result - Shanghai SIPG for 1.97
• Corners - Under 9 for 1.90