Tonight at 19:30, the 18th round of the Chinese Super League, the focus of the battle will be staged - Shandong Taishan challenge Wuhan three towns, this duel will undoubtedly reveal the intensity of the two power struggle.
[Shandong Taishan]
Shandong Taishan's last appearance in the league was on August 31st, when they suffered a 1-2 defeat against Shanghai Shenhua, ending their winning streak and widening the gap with Wuhan Sanzhen. Currently, Shandong Taishan is 4 points behind their rivals after one more round of matches, and once they lose again, they will face a 7-point gap, and their hopes of competing for the title are almost dead.
Shenhua's battle brought great pressure to the team, facing Sanzhen, they are eager to win, but the difficulty should not be underestimated. In addition, the team is also plagued by injuries, Fellaini has just begun to participate in training, the specific situation will have to wait for tomorrow's team doctor's briefing. Fortunately, the previously injured Song Long and Cressan are recovering well, especially Cressan, who has scored 8 goals this season and is expected to make his debut. As the core of Taishan's forward line, his performance will have a direct impact on the team's ability to win at home.
[Wuhan Three Towns]
Wuhan Sanzhen is currently leading the league, scoring the most goals and conceding the fewest, which is the best of the season. However, the team has not played an official game for half a month, and during the preparation period, they can only play intra-squad matches, and even warm-up matches cannot be arranged. There is even news that Malcolm, the top scorer with 16 goals this season, and Edmilson did not travel with the team to Jinan, while Stanciu, the center of the midfield, traveled with the team, but has a small injury, and whether he can play needs to be confirmed by the team doctor.
Malcolm is the top goal scorer in the CSL this season, while Stancho is the top assist man, and their absence would be a huge blow to Sanzhen's offense. Nonetheless, Sanzhen's overall strength, room for error, and better mentality than Shandong Taishan will help them continue their undefeated streak. It is worth mentioning that Sanzhen has won 12 consecutive matches, and if they can beat Taishan in this round, they will equal the record of consecutive victories held by Shandong Taishan and Guangzhou in the Chinese Super League.
Projected starting lineups for both sides
Shandong Taishan: 14 - Wang Dalei, 5 - Zheng Zheng, 11 - Liu Yang, 27 - Shi Ke, 8 - Liao Lisheng, 10 - Moises, 28 - Sun Junhao, 33 - Jin Jingdao, 37 - Ji Xiang, 29 - Chen Pu, 9 - Cressan
Wuhan Sanzhen: 1-Wu Fei, 3-Wallace, 11-Davidson, 12-Zhang Xiaobin, 21-He Chao, 18-Liu Yiming, 20-Gao Zhunyi, 23-Ren Hang, 25-Deng Hanwen, 30-Xie Pengfei, 43-Stanchou
