Two of the most iconic Chinese football clubs go toe-to-toe this weekend on matchday 8 of the Chinese Super League. Beijing Guoan hosts league leaders Shandong Taishan at the Beijing Worker’s Stadium in a highly anticipated fixture that will serve as their first real test of the season. Will they be up to the challenge? That’s a question I will try to answer in this prediction while giving my opinion on what I expect to be the outcome of the match.
Beijing Guoan – The Host
Beijing Guoan is one of the teams that are unbeaten so far in the league. Currently positioned 5th, they’ve managed to avoid being beaten, scoring late equalizers on several occasions. After 6 games played, their record stands at two wins, four draws, 13 goals scored, 9 goals conceded, and 10 points. They’ve played one game less than their opponent of the day and could very much make their entry into the top 3 if they win.
The club of the capital has the third-best goal-scoring record (13). Only Shandong Taishan (19) and Shanghai Shenhua (14) have scored more than them. Their attack line is composed of fine strikers, with the likes of Fábio Abreu, who has scored 4 goals. However, if there’s an area that needs improvement at Beijing Guoan, it has to be the defense! They have kept just one clean sheet in their last five matches. That said, their defense is above average when comparing the overall performance of the different teams in the league. Playing at home is certainly an advantage that cannot be overlooked, but against a team that is in very good form, like Shandong Taishan might make this home factor might count for nought.
Shandong Taishan – The Current League Leaders
The ascension of Shandong Taishan to the top of the Chinese Super League took more than one fan by surprise. They’ve been playing better than they were last season and look like a serious title contender this time around. Let’s keep in mind however the fact that Shanghai and Chengdu, currently second and third respectively, have played one game less and should Shanghai win their late match, they will reclaim their position at the top of the table, thus, Shandong Taishan should cherish their provisional position as league leaders while it lasts.
The record of Shandong after 7 games is as follows: 5 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss, 19 goals scored, 9 goals conceded, and 16 points. They won their last 3 games, scoring an impressive 3.6 goals on average, and have the best offensive stats of the league so far. Cryzan and José Joaquim, two Brazilians, are leading the attack with 6 and 4 goals scored so far, respectively. Cryzan currently leads the chart of the best goal scorer in the league.
If we consider only the current form, then it’s safe to say Shandong Taishan is by far the best team in the league at the moment. That being said, they are also prone to conceding goals. In their last 5 matches, they conceded on average 1.6 goals despite scoring much more to win the games. This defensive flaw is exactly what Beijing Guoan will be looking to capitalize on.
Beijing Guoan vs Shandong Taishan Head-to-Head Stats and Prediction
In recent times, they’ve faced each other 3 times, 2 ended in draws, and Beijing Guoan won 1. But, looking at the recent performances and statistics, on paper, Shandong Taishan is the better team, and that’s the team I’m backing in this fixture @2.93 on Game2Bet. Register for an account now to win big on Chinese Super League games.
