Beijing Guoan vs Shanghai Shenhua Prediction: Will The Imperial Guards' Winning Streak Continue, Or Will The Flower Of Shanghai Bloom Once More?

The 15th matchday of the Chinese Super League begins with Beijing Guoan hosting fourth-placed Shanghai Shenhua at the Rizhao International Football Centre Stadium.

While Beijing Guoan will be hoping for a surge in the super league standings that will see them overtake Shanghai Shenhua in fourth place, the visitors will need to improve their form if they are to end their four-match winless streak and maintain their position.

Beijing Guoan

Form: WWLLL

Coming off of a game where they completely dominated struggling team Guangzhou City to defeat them by a score of 1-0, they'll be fired up to defeat the visitors, who have started to exhibit signs of poor form.

In their match against Guangzhou City, they had a 63% ball possession advantage, which allowed them to take 24 shots, 9 of which were on goal, but only one of which resulted in a goal. From their perspective, they could have ended the day with more than one goal.

It was a significant improvement for them to move from 10th to 6th in the Super League standings with 22 points (one point ahead of Shanghai SIPG), and all of that progress was made in just 90 minutes of play.

They are on a two-match winning streak after going through a three-match losing streak on the road. This could be the beginning of a new chapter for them as they attempt to maintain good form in the Super League.

Another twist of fate could see them overthrow Shanghai Shenhua and reclaim fourth place, and a victory over the visitors will be the first step toward that goal.

Shanghai Shenhua

Form: DLDDW

In their most recent match against Tianjin Teda, they came out strong in the first half to take a 1-0 lead, but things quickly turned around in the second half as they appeared drenched and had completely lost their composure.

As a result, they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw after the visitors managed to score an equalizer in the 77th minute. This result was expected given their continued poor play.

Despite earning a point in each of their most recent two games that ended in ties, they remain in the same spot in the standings—fourth—and this hasn't necessarily helped them advance.

They are left exposed because, should they suffer another loss or a draw—which, in this case, wouldn't be advantageous for them because they could fall to fifth place or, in the worst case scenario, sixth place—their fourth-place finish in the super league standings may no longer be guaranteed.

Shanghai Shenhua have a lot of introspection to do after not showing enough optimism in recent matches, which has seen them go four matches without a victory, as they are digging themselves a hole too deep to climb out of, as they are likely to see a shift from their position if they continue on the same form.

Match Facts

• The first half of a match between these two teams typically sees 1.8 goals scored on average.
• Shanghai Shenhua has gone four Super League games without a victory.
• In meetings between Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua, there are typically 3.8 goals scored on average.
• Beijing Guoan defeated Shanghai Shenhua in their last meeting in the Super League match by two goals.

Head-To-Head

In the last 25 Super League matches, Beijing Guoan has won 14 times, Shanghai Shenhua has won 7 times, and there have been 4 ties. Beijing Guoan has a 44-28 goal differential advantage.

Expert Betting Tips

Given Beijing Guoan's recent winning streak, which has seen them win two straight games, the bookmakers' confidence in Beijing Guoan to defeat Shanghai Shenhua this time is not at all surprising.

The visitors, on the other hand, may be dissatisfied with their recent results in four recent Super League matches, as those results do not correspond to their standing as a team in fourth place in the standings.

They do have a more reliable strong side than Beijing Guoan, which is currently somewhat debatable. However, because of their recent struggles, they are currently underdogs in this matchup for a variety of valid reasons, including the fact that they have struggled to gain an advantage over Beijing Guoan in their previous meetings.

This is an intriguing match that could see both sides put their strengths to the test against each other. Betting on both teams to score wouldn't be such a bad bet in this fixture as both these sides could prove to be dependable in their attack and there's no way we can be deprived of goals.

• Both Teams To Score + Goals - Over 2.5 for 2.14
• Total 2 - Over 1 for 1.79
• Both Teams To Score (Yes) for 1.75