Match week 3 of the 2017 Chinese Super League sees the season’s first major blockbuster as defending Champions Guangzhou Evergrande take on table-topping Shanghai SIPG in a battle of the heavyweights. The match will test Shanghai’s title credentials and it will be an opportunity for Guangzhou to catch-up after a rare and surprising defeat last time out. Guangzhou will be without coach Scolari and Captain Zheng Zhi. Andre Villas Boas’ Shanghai have made a perfect start to the 2017 campaign and are on a run of 6 consecutive victories which includes 4 in the AFC Champions League.
Another team with a perfect team is the ‘other’ team from Guangzhou – Guangzhou R&F. They take on the winless Yanbian Funde FC. Yanbian will be looking to put the brakes on Guangzhou’s perfect start to the season and secure their first win of the season after a draw and a defeat in their opening matches.
In Saturday’s third match, Heibei China take on newly promoted Guizhou Hengfeng at the Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium. Both teams drew their opening two games and will be looking to kick-start their season with a victory.
Fabio Cannavaro’s newly promoted Tianjin Quanjian take on Henan Jianye at home. The home side will be looking to notch up their first victory of the campaign after a draw and a defeat at the hands of Guangzhou R&F. Both teams are winless but the League One Champions Tianjin are expected to eke out a narrow win. Tianjin’s last match was an entertaining draw against Shanghai Shenhua and is this match is even half as exciting as the former, you viewers are in for a treat.
Changchun Yatai host Shandong Luneng in Sunday’s first fixture. Bottom of the table hosts will be looking to get their first points onboard against second place Shandong. Changchun only just escaped relegation last campaign and will look to set things right starting this match. Shandong will be heading into the match on the high of beating six-time defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande and are heavy favourites against the listless Changchun.
Both Jiangsu Sunning and Liaoning Whowin will be looking for their first wins of the season at the Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium. Hosts Liaoning are on a run of two consecutive 1-1 draws while last season’s runner-ups are looking anything but with a 4-0 defeat and a 0-0 draw in their opening fixtures. Jiangsu are expected to change their fortunes in this match.
Carlos Tevez led Shanghai Shenhua will make a trip to the Capital for this season’s first China Derby. Beijing are still winless and drew their last game against newly promoted Guizhou. Heavyweights Shanghai are heading into this round of fixtures with a mixed bag of results. Their first match saw them beat runner-ups Jiangsu 4-0 but following it up with an entertaining albeit disappointing draw against Tianjin.
The weekend’s last match sees another matchup of the winless with Tianjin TEDA hosting Chongqing Lifan. Tianjin are yet to win and more frustratingly yet to put the ball in the back of the net. Their slow start to the season has seen them lose 2-0 to Shandong and a 0-0 draw against Jiangsu. Their opponents, however, have earned a point more having drawn their opening two fixtures – a 0-0 against Yanbian and a 1-1 against Heibei China. A low scoring draw should be expected.