Chongqing Lifan v Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng – Super League
Chongqing have no injury worries ahead of the weekend, with manager Chang Woe-Ryong potentially having full strength to select from. Chongqing are expected to start with the same starting XI compared to the impressive 2-1 win against Jiangsu last week as their manager Chang Woe-Ryong’s philosophy is to try and use a consistent first eleven where possible. Counter attacks will be the expected tactic for Chongqing. This has been their best mode for scoring for a while now so no changes will be expected. Defensively they will aim to frustrate Guizhou by sitting back and inviting pressure, clearing their lines at every opportunity. They will clearly aim for a home win here as they are facing one of the weakest teams in the league, so a draw would be a disappointing result for them.
Guizhou come into the game with a generally healthy squad as Festus is expected to return from suspension, providing a defensive boost. Guizhou will be expected to be more attacking for this match as they have only scored two goals in their last four competitive matches, while the fans think this is not acceptable and expect them to score more. Manager Li Bing admitted that the physical fitness of his team still needs to improve and it was lucky that they did not concede goals in the last game. Therefore he will be looking for a way to improve their physical fitness in order to fight against Chongqing this week. Confidence and morale are both still low but the players are starting to show a bit of motivation to survive in the Chinese Super League through their performances, which does give a little bit of belief. Playing away from home also puts them under less pressure and a draw would be an acceptable result.
Verdict & Prediction
A huge boost in morale and confidence was seen after an incredible away win against Jiangsu. Chongqing played an excellent match overall and were very competitive, they are now believing they can beat anyone if they perform well. They will clearly aim for a home win here as they are facing one of the weakest teams in the league, so a draw would be a disappointing result for them.
Prediction: Chongqing Lifan -0.50 Asian Handicap (same as Lifan to win in 1×2 markets)
Odds: 1.84 Pinnacle, 1.81 SBOBET
