Preview
PajimonPajimon here, boys! Grab a cold one and settle in, 'cause this one's got some real meat on the bone.
Dalian Zhixing are in absolute form heading into this Super League fixture. Four wins and a draw in their last five, with a three-game winning run where they've scored 7 and conceded just 1. That 4-0 away hammering of Qingdao Youth Island on 11 October was a statement, and before that they've kept it tight at home with a 2-1 over Qingdao Jonoon and a 1-0 against Shanghai Shenhua in the FA Cup. At their own ground over 20 games, Dalian Zhixing are 12 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses, scoring 1.4 per game and conceding 1.1. Eight clean sheets in 20 home games tells you the defence is locked in, and they've failed to score in only 4 of those 20.
Now look at the visitors. Sichuan Jiuniu have drawn their last two - a 2-2 at home to Henan Jianye and a 1-1 away to Shandong Luneng. Over 20 away games, they're 4 wins, 3 draws and 13 losses. Thirteen losses in 20 away games, boys. That's a team that struggles on the road. They score 0.9 per game away and concede 1.8. Zero clean sheets in 20 away games. The numbers don't lie, and I don't think you can argue with them.
The head-to-head is thin - only one meeting in the last 12 months, a 1-1 draw at Sichuan Jiuniu's ground back in May. The older meetings are historical: a 2-1 Dalian Zhixing win at home in September 2025 and another 1-1 draw in April 2025. All three meetings saw both teams find the net, but that's dated stuff. What matters is the current form, and that points firmly to Dalian Zhixing.
The counter-argument? Well, Sichuan Jiuniu have scored in four of their last five, and the head-to-head shows they've never lost to Dalian Zhixing in three meetings. That 1-1 draw in May suggests they can at least keep it level. But a draw is not a win, and the away record of 13 losses in 20 games is hard to ignore. Dalian Zhixing's 1-1 draw with Beijing Guoan on 28 August shows they're not untouchable, but that was before they started this three-game run.
Key Points:
- Dalian Zhixing: 4W 1D in last 5, 3-game winning run (7 scored, 1 conceded)
- Dalian Zhixing home record: 12W 2D 6L in 20 games, 8 clean sheets
- Sichuan Jiuniu away record: 4W 3D 13L in 20 games, 0 clean sheets
- H2H: 1 recent meeting (1-1 draw), 2 older meetings (1 win, 1 draw for Dalian)
- Sichuan Jiuniu's last 2 games: both draws
Verdict: Dalian Zhixing home win.