Shanghai SIPG vs Meizhou Hakka Prediction: Both Sides Searching For Their Second Victory In The Super League

Shanghai SIPG will host Meizhou Hakka at the Dalian Sports Center Stadium on the 19th matchday of the Super League, hoping to reignite their winning streak with a second consecutive victory.

Form: WLWWW

Relying on the impenetrable Yan Junling to keep Changchun Yatai at bay while exploiting their defense line, it was a worthwhile cause as their attacking prowess saw them put four goals past their opposition while surrendering one, with Wei Lu bagging himself a brace in the first half to conclude their day with a 4-1 victory on the road.

While they would have been delighted to record their fourth consecutive victory, the fact that Beijing Guoan stopped them in their tracks with a 1-0 defeat at home could have played a role in them maintaining their continental position in the rankings.

A three-point deficit is all that stands between them and third place, which is currently held by Shanghai Shenhua with 40 points as they currently occupy 4th with 37 points, and failure to win could only mean that fifth-placed Hangzhou Greentown could be in a position to overtake them as only two points separate them.

Form: WLLDW

Taking advantage of Guangzhou Evergrande's inconsistent form, they finally got the breakthrough they needed, winning 3-1 to return to winning ways after suffering some minor setbacks that saw them go three matches without a win.

They have struggled to maintain their form, with their 7th place ranking in the Super League under threat from the likes of Beijing Guoan and Chengdu Rongcheng, who are only three points away from unseating them as they sit on 33 points.

And now that they have a much bigger threat at their disposal, it may prove to be a much bigger challenge for their bid for a second consecutive victory, and they will likely have to exhaust all available options to get something positive against a motivated Shanghai SIPG.

• In three of their last six away games, Meizhou Hakka has failed to score.
• Shanghai SIPG has kept three clean sheets in their last five Super League games.
• When playing at home, Shanghai SIPG scores 1.12 goals on average, while Meizhou Hakka scores 1.08 goals on average when playing away.
• Meizhou Hakka has scored three times in their last five Super League games while maintaining two clean sheets.

This will be their first Super League meeting.

Shanghai SIPG has made some recent improvements, but they haven't been enough to keep their continental position. As a result, this match could be the tipping point for them to climb back up the rankings.

Meizhou Hakka have a 3-3-2 away record and appear to be more potent with their offensive approach, having netted 32 goals compared to the hosts' 27 in their last 20 matches played, and will undoubtedly want to put it to the test against a side that has also done well defensively.

Shanghai SIPG's defense has remained unshaken with only 6 goals conceded in their last 11 Super League home matches. They will likely use this to their advantage by keeping a rejuvenated Meizhou Hakka at bay, but not enough to prevent them in search of a goal.

• Corners - Under 8.5 for 1.88
• Both Teams To Score (Yes) for 1.90
• Goals - Over 2.5 for 2.00