LiontipsShandong Taishan vs Shanghai Port. China Cup Match Prediction and Bets
Command Analysis
Current form
Shandong Taishan traditionally performs well in cup competitions. The team won the China Cup three times in a row - from 2020 to 2022. Only in the previous season did the team lose the trophy, losing in the final to Shanghai Shenhua. Now they will have to fight in the final with another Shanghai team. They failed to fight for the championship in the Super League with Shanghai Port - the nominal hosts are 30 points behind the champion and took only fifth place in the table. But they have every chance in the cup. In the previous stages, Shandong beat Chongqing (6:3), Qingdao West Coast (4:0), Henan Songshan Longmen (3:1) and Chengdu (1:0).
The team also plays in the Champions League, where they have only managed to beat the Australian champion, Central Coast Mariners (3:1). In other matches, the hosts lost to Japanese Kobe (1:2) and Korean Pohang Steelers (2-4), and also tied with Yokohama Marinos (2:2).
Disqualifications and injuries
The hosts have no problems with their line-up before the decisive match.
Interesting trends for betting
- The team has scored at least two goals in each of its last five matches
- The club has suffered only one defeat in its last five matches
Tentative lineup: Wang - Liu, Zheng, Marcel Scalese, Gao - Krizan, Kazaishvili, Liao, Xi - Li, Zeka
Current form
Shanghai Port became the champion of China for the second time in a row, finishing ahead of Shanghai Shenhua at the end of the season. The gap between the two Shanghai teams was only one point. The team lost only twice during the entire season and scored 96 goals in 30 matches. The club also performed flawlessly in the cup - they managed to beat Guanxi Hengzhen (2:0), Zhejiang Professional (2:1), Tianjin Tiger (3:0) and Shanghai Shenhua (3:2). The Dragons are currently outside the playoff zone in the Champions League - the team earned only four points in four matches. Port managed to beat Central Coast Mariners (3:2) and draw with Johor (2:2), but lost to Pohang Steelers (0:3) and Kawasaki (1:3).
Disqualifications and injuries
The visitors have no problems with their squad before the cup final.
Interesting trends for betting
- In the last five matches, the visitors have not left the field without scoring a goal
- The team has not drawn in their last nine matches.
Estimated lineup: Yang - Wang, Wei, Browning, Bao - Oscar, Yang, Xu - Gustavo - Feng, Popp
Trends
Bet Exact score 1:1
Two of the last four head-to-head matches ended with this score
10.00Bet Number 1 in the final score
This pattern has worked in three of the last four matches between the teams.
1.80Bet Both Teams to Score
This bet has played in Shandong Taishan last seven matches
1.55Tip and bets
Shandong Taishan may not be showing strong results in the league, but in the cup they are a completely different team. None of the last six finals of the China Cup took place without this club, three times in a row the hosts became the winners. The club clearly wants to get the trophy back and will not give up without a fight, despite the superiority of the visitors in class. We believe that Shanghai will have a hard time in this match.
Our prediction is Asian handicap (+1) on Shandong Taishan for 1.75
Bet on total
In the final match, the teams will clearly not reveal themselves too much, because any mistake can bury hopes for a trophy. We think that the opponents will act with a degree of caution, so we are unlikely to see more than three goals here.
Our prediction is total under 3.5 goals for 1.75
Bet on the first half
We don't expect the opponents to go forward in force immediately after the starting whistle. It will obviously take time to get to know each other. In this scenario, a draw at the end of the first half is likely.
Our prediction is a draw in the first half at 2.65
