Round eight of the Chinese Super League comes to an end on Monday when Chengdu Qianbao play host to Cangzhou Mighty Lions at the Huitang Stadium.
The hosts are yet to taste victory this season, while Svetozar Sapuric's side head into the game on a run of six consecutive outings without a win.
Match preview
Newly-promoted Chengdu Qianbao continue to struggle with life in the big leagues as they were held to a goalless draw with Beijing Guoan on Thursday.
They have now failed to win any of their opening seven games this season, picking up five straight draws and suffering defeats against Shenzhen and Beijing Guoan in their opening two games respectively.
However, manager Seo Jung-won will be impressed with his side's solid display at the defensive end in recent weeks as Chengdu Qianbao have kept three clean sheets in their last five outings.
With five wins from a possible 28, Chengdu Qianbao are currently 15th in the Chinese Super League table, one point and one place below Monday's visitors.
Elsewhere, Cangzhou Mighty Lions were on the receiving end of a humbling 4-1 defeat at the hands of Meizhou Hakka when the sides met last Wednesday.
Twenty-seven-year-old midfielder Nebojsa Kosovic put on a show at the Wuhua Hengpi Football Town as he scored one and set up two more to hand the hosts a comprehensive victory.
Sapuric's men have now lost all but one of their last four outings — conceding eight goals and scoring two in that time — with a 1-1 draw with Beijing Guoan on June 25 being the exception.
Cangzhou Mighty Lions have also failed to taste victory in six straight outings, stretching back to June 5 when Bughrahan Iskandar and Oscar Taty Maritu scored to hand them a 2-1 victory over Beijing Guoan in the season opener.
- L
- D
- D
- D
- D
- D
- D
- D
- L
- L
- D
- L
Team News
Chengdu Qianbao will take to the pitch without 34-year-old full-back Guanghui Han, who has been sidelined through a long-term arm injury.
Former Meixian Techand man Guichao Wu is also a doubt for the hosts after the forward came off with a 56th-minute injury against Beijing Guoan on Thursday.
In his absence, Bin Liu will push for his first start of the season, teaming up with the Brazilian duo of Felipe Silva and Romulo at the attacking end of the pitch.
Meanwhile, Kaimu Zheng and Hao Guo were hooked off with first-half injuries in the loss to Meizhou Hakka last time out and are unlikely to feature for the visitors.
They join Chen Zhongliu on the Cangzhou Mighty Lions injury table as the 28-year-old midfielder is set to sit out his third consecutive game through a muscle problem.
Chengdu Qianbao possible starting lineup:
Geng; Liu, Windbichler, R Hu; Kim, G Chao, T Chow, H Hu; Romulo, Liu, Silva
Cangzhou Mighty Lions possible starting lineup:
Puliang; Xiaotian, Y Liu, Yun, Yiming, Zhe; Abdusalam, Skandar Lin; Maritu, Xinyu
We say: Chengdu Qianbao 1-1 Cangzhou Mighty Lions
With just one point separating Chengdu Qianbao and Cangzhou Mighty at the bottom half of the table, we expect them to take the game to each other as they both look to get their campaign up and running. However, we predict that the spoils will be shared with the evenly-matched sides leaning with a point apiece.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
