Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua are set to clash at Jiangyin Stadium in the final match of the Chinese Super League 2021 regular season on Sunday.
The encounter between the third and fifth-placed sides in the league standings will see the winner cement their position in the Championship round while the losing side will have to play in the relegation round.
Beijing returned to winning ways in their previous outing with a 2-1 win over Changchun Yatai. Meanwhile, Shanghai recorded their second win in a row as they overcame Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 1-0 on Thursday.
Beijing Guoan vs Shanghai Shenhua Head-to-Head
The two clubs have faced each other 34 times across all competitions, with their first meeting dating back to 1994 in the erstwhile Jia-A league.
The capital club have the upper hand at the moment and have 16 wins to their name. Shanghai Shenhua have been able to get the better of Beijing Guoan 12 times while six games have ended in stalemates.
In their recent encounters, Beijing Guoan have been the dominant side and have six wins in their last 10 meetings with Shanghai Shenhua. They last squared off in the opening fixture of the campaign in April when Shanghai recorded a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture.
Beijing Guoan form guide (Chinese Super League): W-L-D-W-W
Shanghai Shenhua form guide (Chinese Super League): W-W-L-D-L
Beijing Guoan vs Shanghai Shenhua Team News
Beijing Guoan
Jonathan Vieira and John Hou Saeter remain the two injury concerns for Beijing Guoan. Zhongguo Chi will return to the fold after having served a one-game ban in the league game against Changchun Yatai.
Injuries: Jonathan Vieira, John Hou Saeter
Doubtful: None
Suspension: None
Shanghai Shenhua
Zeng Cheng remains the only injury concern for Shanghai Shenhua ahead of this game.
Injuries: Zeng Cheng
Doubtful: None
Suspension: None
Beijing Guoan vs Shanghai Shenhua Predicted XI
Beijing Guoan Predicted XI (5-3-2): Sen Hou (GK); Huan Liu, Yang Bai, Yu Dabao, Fan Yang, Wang Gang; Xizhe Zhang, Cheng Piao, Tianyi Gao; Yuning Zhang, Cedric Bakambu
Shanghai Shenhua Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Shuai Li; Jiabao Wen, Chenjie Zhu, Matej Jonjic, Mingjian Zhao; Xi Wu, Hanchao Yu; Christian Bassagog, Lonsana Doumbouya, Adrian Mierzejewski; Giovanni Moreno
Beijing Guoan vs Shanghai Shenhua Prediction
With qualification for the Championship round at stake, we expect both teams to go all-in for this clash. This game should make for an interesting watch.
Shanghai have the better attacking and defensive stats between the two teams in league fixtures, thus we expect them to come out on top in a high-scoring encounter.
Prediction: Beijing Guoan 2-3 Shanghai Shenhua