Home - Shandong Luneng
- Shandong Luneng have made a great start to the new season, riding a four-game winning run and keeping a shutout and winning in their only home game so far.
- Peng Han has installed a rigid defensive structure, with a back four and double pivot that stops opponents playing their football and a clinical counter-attacking game that has seen Cryzan score once in his only league appearance so far.
Away - Beijing Guoan
- Beijing have also won their only away game so far and scored twice in it, so they have shown they are capable of taking the game to their opponents away from home.
- Nick Montgomery, newly appointed manager, has put his own stamp on the side by playing a flexible 4-4-2 system that is much more offensive than before.
- They press high up the field, move the ball quickly and use the width of the field more than before to run at the opposition defence.
Head-to-Head
- Shandong have won one and lost one of the last two head-to-heads, but Beijing have not won on their last two visits to Shandong.
- Shandong Luneng beat Beijing Guoan FC 6-0 in their last Super League meeting.
Key Players
- Valeri Qazaishvili is the chief creator for Shandong, with one assist in the league and five goals in the last five matches for his side.
- Gang Wang has been Beijing’s creator, with two assists in one league game so far and his ability to play in midfield and whip up attacks with his pace.
- Fabio Abreu is the main man up top with one goal in the league and four in the recent five-match run.
Betting Insights
- The home side will be expected to take a win here at 2.06, a price that looks a bit short, although they may be backed to the max by the home fans on Saturday.
- The odds for Both Teams to Score - No, meanwhile, are a little tempting at 3.04 and this fixture is rarely short on goals.
Prediction
- Our prediction is for Shandong to get the win here by a shutout because of the defensive solidity that Peng Han has instilled in the team and the fact Beijing may struggle to break them down.
- This should be a chess match between two very different styles of play, and whoever controls the transitions may hold the key to the outcome.
