Meizhou Hakka vs Cangzhou Mighty Lions

Wuhua Hengpi Football Town is the venue as newly-promoted Meizhou Hakka seek a way out of a severe crisis against fellow Chinese Super League bottom-half rivals Cangzhou Mighty Lions.

An underwhelming 1-0 defeat away to Tianjin Jinmen Tiger last time out put the brakes on Meizhou Hakka’s five-game unbeaten start to the new Chinese Super League season (W1, D4). More importantly, it marked their second successive top-flight match without scoring. A return to the Wuhua Hengpi Football Town barely comes in handy, given that both Meizhou’s home league games have produced scoring draws. Milan Ristic’s men cannot afford to rely on their recent H2H record versus Cangzhou either. They’ve failed to win any of their last three league meetings (D1, L2), including a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture earlier this month.

In the meantime, Cangzhou Mighty Lions opened the season with a heroic 2-1 win away to Chinese Super League powerhouse Beijing Guoan on Matchday 1. However, they have stumbled out of the blocks since, going winless in their last five league outings (D3, L2). Low scoring has been a common theme in Cangzhou’s top-flight matches of late, as their last five have featured under 2.5 goals each. Though connoisseurs of action-packed football would rather avoid this fixture, a first-half goal-fest could be the order of the day. Indeed, 70% of Cangzhou’s top-flight goals scored/conceded this season have come before half-time (7/10).