Cangzhou Mighty Lions vs Shenzhen

Wuhua County Olympic Sports Centre plays host to a bottom-half Chinese Super League clash between Cangzhou Mighty Lions and Shenzhen.

Cangzhou Mighty Lions defied the odds to beat Beijing Guoan 2-1 on the opening weekend but have since gone winless in all seven Chinese Super League matches (D4, L3). Coming into this matchday, Svetozar Sapuric’s men languish only four points clear of the relegation zone, highlighting their desperation for a victory here. However, they have not only failed to win any of their four top-flight home games this season (D3, L1) but bagged a measly average of 0.5 goals per match. Shenzhen’s upcoming visit could help them out, though, as they’ve come out victorious in four of their last six home league H2Hs (D2).

Meanwhile, visiting Shenzhen have lost momentum since a 1-0 home triumph over Cangzhou in the reverse fixture, suffering three defeats in their subsequent four league games (D1). Shenzen’s defensive frailties saw them concede an average of 2.5 goals during that four-match sequence, casting doubt on their hopes of keeping their first-ever away clean sheet against Cangzhou. Moreover, after winning their opening two Chinese Super League outings on the road by a single-goal margin, the ‘Youth Army’ have won one of the last three (D1, L2). Shenzhen’s lack of bounce-back ability has seen them recover just one out of nine possible away points from losing positions this term.