Dalian Zhixing vs Wuhan Three Towns Prediction
Dalian to Capitalise on Wuhan's Travel Woes
Preview
Right then, let's have a proper look at this bottom-half clash in the Chinese Super League. Dalian Zhixing welcome Wuhan Three Towns, and on paper, this looks like a home banker if ever I saw one.
Dalian are sitting pretty in 9th with 33 points, and while their recent form's been a bit up and down, they know how to get the job done at home. They've bagged wins against decent sides like Shandong Luneng (2-0) and had some decent performances. At their own gaff, they're scoring 1.2 per game and only letting in 1.0 - solid enough for this level.
Now, Wuhan Three Towns... blimey, where do I start? They're rock bottom of the form table with just 1 win in their last 10 games. But here's the killer stat - away from home, they're absolutely shocking. Five away games, five losses, and they're shipping goals like there's no tomorrow - 3.2 per game on their travels! That's not just bad, that's relegation-form bad.
The only time these two met was back in May, and it finished 2-2. But given how Wuhan have been playing on the road lately, I'd be shocked if we see a repeat of that.
Dalian have had 15 days to prepare for this one, while Wuhan have had 23 - but all the rest in the world won't fix that leaky away defense. When you're conceding over three goals per away game, you're always going to be up against it.
The bookies have Dalian at 1.80, and given Wuhan's travel sickness, that looks like decent value to me. Sometimes the simple bets are the best ones, and this feels like one of those occasions.
Key Points:
- Wuhan's away form is dreadful: 0W, 0D, 5L in last 5 away games
- Wuhan conceding 3.2 goals per game away from home
- Dalian have a solid 60% home win rate in recent games
- Dalian scored 2+ goals in three of their last five home wins
- Wuhan have managed just one win in their last 10 games overall
The way I see it, Dalian should have too much quality for a Wuhan side that can't buy a win on the road. The home advantage combined with Wuhan's defensive nightmares makes this a straightforward pick.