After the first seven rounds of the tournament, Guoan accumulated 12 points with 3 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss to secure the fifth position in the table. In their latest matchup, they showed great athleticism by defeating newly promoted Qingdao West Coast 4-1 at the New Industry Stadium. Players such as Ngaardew, Li Ke, Prince Ming and Adebenelo each scored a goal, highlighting the team's versatile threat on the attacking end.
Guoan team showed the smoothest and most efficient attacking mode so far in the season in the last home matchup, the overall level of attacking improved significantly, the lineup was stable, and the cooperation was seamless. The core of the midfield, Zhang Xizhe, played a key role in making the team's offense more organized with his scheduling and passing. Guga and Li Ke have been working well together in the midfield, building a solid defense for the team.
Although Zhang Yuning is in good form after contributing three goals in his last six matches, Lin Liangming has shown a full range of offensive breakthrough ability. Whether or not they will feature in this round of matches is still unknown. Fabio is recovering, and Guoan's forward line has lost three core players, which undoubtedly dealt a major blow to the attacking force.
Overall, both teams are facing the problem of incomplete lineup, but both are good at controlling and passing offense. Zhejiang's strong performance at home added more uncertainty to the game. However, in contrast, Guoan has a slight edge in terms of player depth and defensive stability. They will be sure to keep a close eye on Zhejiang's key players, as they did in the away win over Shanghai Shenhua, in order to gain an advantage in the match. Moreover, it remains to be seen in the game whether Zhejiang has fully recovered or not. Therefore, I'm more inclined to favor Guoan to come back from this match with a full victory, or even two wins in a row.
