Shenzhen F.C. vs Shandong Taishan Prediction: Taishan Dui To Take Advantage Of The Hosts' Patchy Form

Shenzhen F.C. will host Shandong Taishan on the 17th matchday of the Super League at the Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium. Will the hosts avoid the unavoidable by earning a victory against Shandong Taishan, or will they fall short by suffering a loss?

Form: WLLLL

With a convincing 3-0 victory over Wuhan Zall in their most recent away game under the guidance of new manager Zhang Xiaorui, the hosts certainly rose to the occasion to provide optimism to their fans, who were already losing the little bit of hope they had in them as a result of their patchy performance.

They eventually ended their losing streak of five straight games in which no points were picked, and as a result, the darkness they had been wallowing in has slowly begun to dissipate as they can now see some hope at the end of the tunnel.

The three points couldn't have come at a better time for them, as they are now tied for 12th place in the Super League standings with Changchun Yatai on 19 points, one point ahead of Dalian Pro in 13th place, and level on points with Changchun Yatai, who are in 11th place.

They still have a long way to go, however, in order to finally find themselves maintaining a consistent form, which will really test their character moving forward in terms of how well they'll respond. Their form is currently at a standstill as it is still in its inconsistent stages.

Form: DLWWW

The visitors concentrate on a more important goal, which in this case is obviously to dethrone table toppers Wuhan Three Towns, in first place, but seem to be a few paces behind just when they are within range, so intimidation by the hosts' unexpected demolition of Wuhan Zall in their most recent match is the least of their worries.

They came back from a goal down to tie the game in the 68th minute by scoring the equalizer they had been desperately searching for. The game ended with a score of 1-1, and they were grateful to have salvaged a point in their most recent game against Wuhan Three Towns.

Prior to that, their previous match against Shanghai Shenhua on the road, in which they lost three points, put a dent in their pursuit of closing the gap between them and Wuhan Three Towns in the Super League rankings, but it in no way jeopardized their position, as they are still firmly established in second place with 40 points.

Since they have picked up 10 points in their last five games and have lost just thrice in their last 16 Super League games, maintaining a steady form hasn't been a problem for them up to this point.

• Shenzhen F.C. has conceded a goal in all 11 of their Super League matches.
• In the Super League, Shandong Taishan has yet to lose a match against Shenzhen F.C.
• On average, Shenzhen F.C. scores one goal per game against Shandong Taishan, while Shandong Taishan scores 2.6 goals per game against Shenzhen F.C.
• When these two teams play, the average number of goals scored is 3.6.
• Shenzhen F.C. scores 1.58 goals on average at home, while Shandong Taishan scores 1.89 goals on average away.

Shandong Taishan has won 9 of the last 13 games, Shenzhen F.C. has won none, and there have been 4 draws, with a goal difference of 29-11 in favor of Shandong Taishan.

Shenzhen F.C. have been consistently unreliable and performed below average throughout all of their games, as evidenced by their lengthy losing streak, which saw them drop five straight games, a trying time for them.

Despite not being an offensive team that enjoys going all out offensively, they did display a more potent offensive approach in their most recent game against Wuhan Zall, which allowed them to score 3 goals from 5 shots on goal.

And while we may give their new manager credit for the unique style of play they displayed, it will undoubtedly take some time before we notice his effectiveness in this situation.

Goals appear to be the way to go in this particular match, as Shandong Taishan is an offensive team that has scored a total of 12 goals in their past five games compared to their opponents' four, not to mention their opponents' defense flaws that have allowed them to give up 16 goals in their last five matches.

• Goals - Over 2.5 for 1.85
• Handicap 2 -1 for 1.61
• 1st Half Result - Shandong Taishan for 1.94