Shandong Taishan vs Shanghai Shenhua Prediction: Lesson Learnt From The Flower Of Shanghai's Previous Match, Handicap Covered!

Shanghai Shenhua will be hoping to recreate their recent 1:0 success against Shandong Taishan when they make the trip to Jinan Olympic Sports Center in the 16th round of the Super League.

Will Shandong Taishan fall prey to the same methods that saw them succumb to a 1:0 setback in their reverse fixture against Shanghai Shenhua, or will the bragging rights this time around be in their favor?

Let's have a look at the latest Chinese Super League predictions between Shandong Taishan vs Shanghai Shenhua, team news, probable lineups, match facts, and betting odds for you to consider!

Note: Odds are subject to change at any time! 

Shandong Taishan

Form: WDWDW

After their 1:1 draw against league leaders Shanghai Port FC earlier this month, Shandong Taishan managed to bounce back with a 1:0 victory over Henan FC on the road in last week's showdown. 

Despite being the superior side in all facets of the game, there's no doubt that they did have some struggles in breaking down their opponents, as it was only when their opponent was down to ten men in the 63rd minute that they managed to find the breakthrough in the dying embers of the game through Jadson's strike.

With that win, they have extended their unbeaten run in the league to ten matches, picking up five draws and five wins to accumulate 20 points, with three of those matches coming at home, where confidence has been high after going six matches without suffering a loss.

They presently occupy fifth place in the standings with 25 points to their name, and securing all three points here could see them climb as high as third place if Tianjin Teda and Chengdu Rongcheng FC were to suffer setbacks in their respective matches.

Team News

Marouane Fellaini, who made an immediate impression after coming off the bench to provide an assist that proved crucial in his side's victory over Henan FC, will undoubtedly be expected to oversee the attack off the bench this time around.

Apart from the invaluable Crysan, who is still questionable after missing the previous two games, Shandong Taishan manager Choi Kang-hee will be relieved to know that he has no injury concerns going into this game.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-2-3-1

D. Wang; X. Ji, Jadson, K. Shi, G. Sun; Z. Huang, L. Liao; C. Zhang, M. Magalhães, P. Chen; M. Fellaini

Shanghai Shenhua

Form: WLWWW

Shanghai Shenhua, on the other hand, were disregarded by bookmakers as they were labeled underdogs in their outing against Zhejiang Professional FC, but they managed to walk away with all three points in the bag after a 1:0 victory.

Yu Hanchao put his side ahead inside 13 minutes, and his lead was held until the half-time whistle. The second half witnessed Cephas Malele's efforts to double his side's lead be in vain as his goal in the 53rd minute was ruled out for offside.

With that win, they have now mustered four wins in their six matches in the league, with two of those wins coming away from home, while the other two outcomes resulted in a draw and a loss.

They presently occupy second place in the standings with 31 points to their name and are only three points behind first place, meaning collecting all three points here could see them level on points with league leaders Shanghai Port FC.

Team News

Shanghai Shenhua manager Wu Jingui will be relieved to know that he has no fitness issues heading into this game considering his team is entirely healthy.

Wu Jingui is set to choose the same lineup that defeated Tianjin Teda 1:0 away from home in this game.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-3-3

Y. Bao; Z. Yang, C.J. Zhu, S. Jiang, M. Hing-Glover; H. Xu, I. Amadou, H. Wang; H. Yu, C. Malele, C. Bassogog

Match Facts

• Shandong Taishan are unbeaten in their last ten matches in the Super League.
• Shanghai Shenhua have won one of their last five away matches in this fixture.
• Shandong Taishan averages 2.17 goals per game when playing at home, and Shanghai Shenhua averages 1.29 goals per game when playing away.

Head-To-Head

The last meeting between these two sides was in the first round of the current CSL season, where a 40th-minute Wu XI strike witnessed Shanghai Shenhua claim a 1:0 victory at the Shanghai Stadium.

In the last 33 meetings, Shandong Taishan has won 14 times, Shanghai Shenhua has won 11 times, and there have been 8 draws, with the goal difference being 47-36 in favor of Shandong Taishan.

Expert Betting Tips

Shandong Taishan are favorites with bookmakers to secure a comfortable win, but their recent unconvincing performance against ten-man Henan FC suggests that they will have their work cut out for them in bagging a three-pointer against the league's best defensive team.

Shanghai Shenhua, on the other hand, were undeniably a surprise package in their recent match against Zhejiang Professional FC to upset the odds despite having low possession, which has been the case in almost all of their matches this season, and for them it has worked in their favor.

In their last seven meetings, Shanghai Shenhua have managed to muster four wins while giving up two and drawing one, which makes them a side that can't be ruled out here despite being underdogs. With the home team having some difficulties in the final third as of late, a Handicap +1 in favor of the visitors should be enough to surface.

• Handicap (1x2) - Shanghai Shenhua 0:1 for 2.22
• Corners - Under 9 for 2.00
• Total - Under 2.5 for 1.75