Beijing Guoan FC vs Shanghai Port FC Prediction: The Imperial Guards To Have A Difficult Time Against League Leaders

Beijing Guoan FC will seek to send out a clear message of intent at home as they welcome table leaders Shanghai Port FC to the Worked Stadium in the 13th round of the Super League.

Will the Imperial Guards have enough firepower in their tank to secure a much-needed victory that will witness them extend their winning streak at home to four matches, or will the visitors prove too much for them to outplay?

Let's have a look at the latest Chinese Super League predictions between Beijing Guoan FC vs Shanghai Port FC, team news, probable lineups, match facts, and betting odds for you to consider!

Note: Odds are subject to change at any time!

Form: DWLWD

Beijing Guoan FC had no trouble whatsoever with their trip to Zibo Sports Center Stadium to face off with Zibo Qisheng FC in the third round of the Chinese FA Cup, as Yang Liyu's goal in the opening eight minutes was enough to see them run out winners in a 1:0 triumph.

Prior to that, they were offered a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to extend their winning streak to two matches and for a better position in the standings as they locked horns with Dalian Pro, who sit at the foot of the Super League table, but such an offer didn't align with their interests as they salvaged only a point in a thrilling 2:2 draw.

The Imperial Guards have performed admirably at the Workers Stadium, as wins against Nantong Zhiyun FC (1:0), Cangzhou Mighty Lions FC (6:2), and Changchun Yatai FC (4:3) have put them on a three-match winning streak and have yet to lose in their last six matches.

They currently occupy seventh place with 18 points, level on points with Shandong Taishan in sixth place, and are in need of three points to climb up to fourth place, making securing maximum points in this encounter crucial.

Beijing Guoan FC manager Stanley Menzo has few injury concerns to be worried about coming into this game, as he will have to contend without the likes of Adegbenro, Zhang Yuning, and Ruan Qilong, who are all ruled out injured. Besides that, he will have a large pool of players to pick from to field a strong starting XI.

Formation: 4-4-2

H. Jiaqi; L. Lei, Y. Bai, M. Ngadeu, F. Boxuan; Kang Sang-woo, Josef, Li Ke, Y. Liyu; W. Ziming, G. Tianyi

Form: WLWWW

Shanghai Port FC, on the other hand, were too successful in their away match against Guangzhou FC as they booked their ticket to the fourth round of the Chinese FA Cup following a 3:0 victory thanks to second-half goals from Markus Pink, Wenjun Lü, and Li Shenglong. 

Prior to that, they saw off the threat of Nantong Zhiyun FC at the Pudong Football Stadium as an Oscar brace in the second half witnessed them claim a 2:1 victory after trailing behind by a goal in the opening eight minutes of the first half courtesy of a Rubilio Castillo strike.

With that win, they managed to restore their unfading confidence at the Pudong Football Stadium following their narrow 1:0 loss to ten-men Chengdu Rongcheng FC, which also marked their first loss in their last six home matches, where four wins and a draw helped them amass 13 points.

They currently occupy first place with 29 points and are four points ahead of Shanghai Shenhua in second place, and securing maximum points in this encounter will be their main priority if they are to consolidate their position.

Shanghai Port FC Javier Pereira has no fitness issues heading into this match and has a large pool of players to pick from.

Formation: 4-3-3

Y. Junling; W. Shenchao, T. Browning, Z. Linpeng, L. Shuai; M. Muzepper, C. Huikang, Oscar; I. Kallon, Paulinho, W. Lei

• Beijing Guoan FC are currently on a three-match winning streak when playing at home in the Super League.
• Shanghai Port FC have seen the total under 2.5 goals in four of their last six away matches in the Super League.
• Beijing Guoan FC averages 2.17 goals per game when playing at home, and Shanghai Port FC averages 1.67 goals per game when playing away.

The last meeting between these two sides witnessed Shanghai Port FC being awarded a 3:0 victory away from home in the 33rd round of the CSL.

In the last 26 meetings, Beijing Guoan FC has won nine times, Shanghai Port FC has won 12 times, and there have been five draws.

Beijing Guoan FC has performed admirably when playing at home; they are not only on a three-match winning streak, but they have also gone six games without suffering a loss, with the remaining three games ending in draws. With this laudable performance, they will be hoping to secure a win against the high-flying table-toppers Shanghai Port FC.

Shanghai Port FC have also been in impressive form on the road this season, with five wins and a draw while showcasing a solid defense that has only been breached once and keeping five clean sheets, which bodes well for a similar performance here as they seek to consolidate their position at the top in the standings.

Typically, Beijing Guoan FC are not a team that can be ruled out of competitive matches as they can step up to the plate when needed, but this time around this won't be the case as they'll be held at arms length by the visitors rock-solid defense, making their chances of finding the back of the net here a difficult task. As a result, we lean toward thinking that this will end up being a low-scoring match in which the visitors will triumph, albeit by a narrow margin.

• Total - Under 2.5 for 2.26
• Corner Matchbet - Beijing Guoan FC for 2.20
• W2 - for 2.08