Round 10
Shanghai Port vs Wuhan Three Towns
Puwan Stadium, China
12.07.22 at 13:30
Two of the best sides that have been in form will look to battle it out in the round 10 of the CSL, with Shanghai Port looking to make it to a five-consecutive unbeaten run when they take on Wuhan Three Towns, who have been solid and have put out intriguing yet memorable performances in their most recent matches.
Wuhan know very well what's at stake and taking their hosts lightly will be the end of their jaw-breaking yet unbelievable run so far in the CSL, which has witnessed them being unbeaten in their last 8 games. Maintaining their first position is what really matters to them at this moment.
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After securing what can be called a slender victory against Guangzhou Evergrande with the hosts finding the back of the net in the 83rd minute through a penalty courtesy of Oscar's strike, retaining all three points on a 1-0 scoreline surely they'll be knocking on the visitors' door in search for another victory.
Feeling they could've done more with their clear-cut chances against Guangzhou, it's one issue they're going to touch on when they come face-to-face with Wuhan Three Towns. And if they are to outplay the visitors, then their chances at goal should in fact convert into goals, as it won't serve them any good if they go down the drain at a crucial stage.
Ivan Leko's men are certainly a side that doesn't know when to throw in the towel, enjoying a 4-game unbeaten run, collecting 10 points in the process, in which 3 were victories and the remaining 1 game was a 1-1 draw against Shanghai Shenhua, and they could make it to 5 consecutive unbeaten runs by edging a win against the visitors.
Reminding them of what's at stake is of no use to Ivan Leko's men as they already know everything there is to know concerning their visitors as they once crossed paths with Wuhan last month, with Wuhan having the upper hand at Puwan stadium, thrashing them to a 2-1 scoreline on the road.
As a result, they want to badly put the past behind them, but it's too big a burden to just forget about it as it was most recently. Positioned in 6th place with the potential to move to 5th place, they'll have to strategically play their cards with precise caution if they are to have any chance of bagging a victory.
Wuhan Three Towns
If validation is what they seek in the CSL, then they've definitely got themselves one. An absolutely terrific performance from them throughout all of their matches put them in first place a well-deserved spot for their ever-dying efforts.
Looking back on their season in the second tier league, they were as impressive as they are today in the CSL, finishing first with 79 points, winning 25 of 34 matches played and only losing 5 games while drawing four to book their ticket to the top tier league, where their influence grows by the day.
And now they find themselves in a more notable position in the CSL and will definitely put their radar on speed dial to avoid any shift from their position, and a lot of work has to be put into defending their first positions from the likes of Shandong Taishan, who are inching closer and closer to threatening their position as they are only 1 point away from claiming their position.
With almost signs of worrisome drifting in their minds as to whether the hosts will have more firepower at their disposal as this match will be played on their home ground, they need not worry as this match won't actually be played on the hosts' home turf, which gives them enough ammunition to deal a huge blow against the hosts.
In the last 8 matches they've played, they've not lost even a single game and are on a 5 match unbeaten streak, winning all games in the process, netting a whooping 21 goals, and if things go their way, they could see 6 matches being unbeaten to stamp their authority in the CSL.
Expert Betting Tips
Both sides have shown total dominance in their recent matches and now, as they are evenly matched, they get to face one another on a Tuesday to determine once and for all who has the will to go a mile.
As such, an entertaining match is to be expected and there's no doubt these two sides won't disappoint in delivering. As such, there's definitely value in the corner department, in which both sides have been extremely good at producing.
Taking into note that in just 5 of their matches, both sides have coupled in 20+ corners single handedly and the same trend can be at least expected to repeat itself when these sides lock horns, and as tricky as the corner market can get, surely this time around we will be able to score ourselves another brainer.
If you are not entirely convinced, you can take the hosts on a +1 Asian Handicap in the first half on corners, as I see the visitors building up on momentum in the 2nd half, which gives the hosts a clear chance to put pressure on them. Another Asian Handicap corner, this time goes to Wuhan Three Towns. This time it shall cover the whole match and taking them on a -1 is worth a steal.
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