Dalian Zhixing vs SHANGHAI SIPG Prediction

Right then, let's have a proper look at this one. We've got the league leaders SHANGHAI SIPG rolling into town to face a Dalian side that's been having a right old time of it lately.

First off, the gulf in class here is massive. SHANGHAI are sitting pretty at the top of the table with 63 points, while Dalian are languishing down in 11th with just 36. That's a proper chasm between these two sides.

Now, Dalian's recent form has been, shall we say, a bit of a nightmare. One win in their last ten games? That's not exactly setting the world alight, is it? They've been shipping goals for fun too - two per game on average. At home, it's even worse, scoring just half a goal per game. Ouch!

But here's the interesting bit - they've shown some grit recently. A 2-2 draw against second-placed Shanghai Shenhua shows they can mix it with the big boys when they fancy it. And they've managed to find the net in a few of their recent matches, which might be crucial here.

SHANGHAI, on the other hand, are flying high but not without their issues. They're banging in 1.9 goals per game, which is proper tasty, but they're also letting in two per game. Their defence has more holes than a Swiss cheese at times, especially away from home where they're conceding 2.2 goals per game.

The last time these two met, SHANGHAI gave Dalian a proper 3-0 hiding, so they know how to handle them. And with SHANGHAI's away form being decent (40% win rate) compared to Dalian's shocking home record (25% win rate), you'd think this is straightforward.

But here's where it gets interesting for us punters. Both teams have defensive issues that could make a mockery of the league positions. Dalian concede for fun at home, and SHANGHAI aren't exactly solid at the back either. With both teams averaging two goals conceded per game recently, there's every chance both sides will find the net here.

The stats boys have got this down as both teams likely to score, and looking at the recent form, I'm inclined to agree. SHANGHAI should have too much quality overall, but Dalian might just nick one at home, especially given SHANGHAI's defensive wobbles on the road.