Chinese Super League Preview: Shanghai Shenhua Launch Final Push for Title, Shenzhen Fight for Survival

At 15:30 on October 27, in the 29th round (second to last) of the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Shenhua will host Shenzhen Xin Pengcheng at the 80,000-seat stadium. According to weather forecasts, this match is expected to be played in the rain.

This game is one of the highlights of the round, with Shanghai media describing it as a “final push for the title and a mobilization for survival.” Shanghai Shenhua currently leads the league with 73 points, just one point ahead of second-placed Shanghai Port. The team cannot afford any slip-ups in their final two matches. At the pre-match press conference, coach Slavisa Jokanovic issued a stern directive: “We have only one goal tomorrow, to secure all three points! Victory is our only option!”

On the other hand, despite being the underdogs and facing a strong opponent away from home, Shenzhen Xin Pengcheng has no choice but to fight hard. Currently, Shenzhen Xin Pengcheng is 25th in the league with 25 points, just one point ahead of the relegation zone, where Meizhou Hakka sits. Therefore, they will undoubtedly put up a fierce fight. Coach Rattanzio stated at the pre-match press conference, “Although our opponents are strong, we are confident of achieving an ideal result.”

This match is Shanghai Shenhua’s last home game of the season. The team has won 10 consecutive home matches (7 in the league, 2 in the AFC Champions League, and 1 in the FA Cup), defeating strong opponents such as Shanghai Port, Pohang Steelers, and Kawasaki Frontale. They have scored 32 goals in these 10 matches, demonstrating formidable attacking power.

Shenzhen Xin Pengcheng recently changed coaches before the previous round, and the Italian coach’s debut ended in a 0-0 draw against relegation rivals Meizhou Hakka, ending a six-game losing streak in the league, which can be described as “a new coach brings new energy.” However, Shenzhen’s away form has been poor recently, with 1 draw and 5 losses in their past 6 away league matches, conceding 14 goals in total.

A southern media commentator pointed out that Shenzhen has a higher win rate in rainy matches. In the first 28 rounds of the season, Shenzhen won 2 out of 6 rainy matches, while they only managed 2 wins in 22 matches without rain.

In terms of head-to-head records, the two teams faced each other twice this year, once in the league in May and once in the FA Cup in July. In the league, Shenhua won 1-0 away, and in the FA Cup, Shenzhen forced a 0-0 draw after 120 minutes but lost in the penalty shootout.

In terms of squad availability, Shanghai Shenhua’s coach revealed that Manafa will continue to be sidelined due to injury, but the other foreign players have recovered. Although Shenhua had a grueling midweek AFC Champions League match, coach Jokanovic believes that playing consecutive home games will help mitigate the issue. Shenzhen Xin Pengcheng’s squad is relatively intact, and at the pre-match press conference, foreign player Leoncio said, “The entire team is in excellent physical condition.”

>>”>For more predictions and analysis of this match, click here>>>