There should be a significant difference in quality between these teams based on table positions so far, with Shandong Luneng leading Dalian Professional by 13 points.
There’s little time for restitution or working hard at the training pitch these days, with both teams having played their last game less than four days ago.
Shandong Luneng form and stats
Shandong Luneng must be fairly happy with 6 points from their first three Super League games here at Dalian Sports Center. With a nice streak brewing from their home games, Shandong are also looking for their fifth consecutive victory regardless of location. Hopes of three in a row are alive for Shandong after consecutive victories at their own ground.
Happy days for Shandong in their previous game, a Super League match away at Guangzhou R&F (placed 6th) that ended with a 5-1 victory. Ahead of that match, Shandong won a home game hosting Henan Jianye (2-1).
As indicated by the result mentioned above, Shandong played a great game against Guangzhou R&F and beat them comfortably. Expectations are high for this one.
The hosts are modest favourites in this match, with the bookmakers estimating the chance of a home win at about 50% +- five percent. It's interesting to look at how Shandong Luneng have performed under similar circumstances, so here are some numbers: When modest favourites like this (we found four games) they have won four times, drawn zero and lost zero.
Shandong are certainly not overdoing their scoring at home in league matches, having created 4 goals in 3 games. Shandong are not conceding a lot of goals here at Dalian Sports Center in the league, averaging less than one per game. The total is 2 from 3 matches.
Dalian Professional form and stats
Still no away game victory in the Super League for Dalian Professional, who have the most conceded goals (7) away in Super League, with 1 draw and 2 losses from their first 3 attempts.
There were no winners in Professional's previous match, a Super League home game that ended 2-2 vs Guangzhou Evergrande (placed 1st). A 2-3 defeat away at Shenzhen before that.
It looked so good for Professional vs Guangzhou Evergrande, but the job was not completed and victory was lost as a 2-0 lead was turned into a 2-2 draw.
We have checked recent matches where Dalian Professional have had similar odds to win. Win-draw-lose statistics from those seven games were two victories, two draws and three defeats.
The travelling fans enjoy Professional's attacking play in away games, having scored 5 goals in 3 league matches away. For Professional, more than two goals on average per game end up in their own net.
Head 2 Head
The most recent history between these sides is the Dalian Professional - Shandong 2-3 played earlier this season. Last ten meetings between the teams: Shandong won five, Dalian Professional won four and one draw. five games with over 2,5 goals, five matches with two goals or less.Top Goalscorers
  G. Pellè 17 goals |  R. Krug Guedes 12 goals |
Shandong Luneng missing players
Dalian Professional missing players
| Shandong Luneng | Dalian Professional | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs | Statistics | Stat | vs | Away | Total |
| 7 | 3 | 1 | Played | P | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | Won | W | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Drew | D | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Lost | L | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 13 | 4 | 2 | Scored | S | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | Conceded | C | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| 86% | 100% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 0% | 100% | 100% |
| 57% | 67% | 100% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 0% | 100% | 86% |
| 43% | 33% | 100% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 0% | 100% | 71% |
| 29% | 0% | 0% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 0% | 67% | 57% |
| 29% | 0% | 0% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 0% | 33% | 29% |
| 43% | 33% | 100% | BTTS | BTTS | 0% | 100% | 86% |
| 43% | 33% | 0% | Clean Sheets | C S | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 29% | 33% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 0% | 0% | 14% |
| 4 | 3 | 4 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 0 | 3 | 4.4 |
| 3.7 | 4 | 2 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 1.3 | 2.3 | 2 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 0 | 4 | 2.4 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 86 | 41 | 17 | Total Shots | T S | 0 | 31 | 90 |
| 33 | 15 | 5 | Shots on Target | S O | 0 | 9 | 30 |
| 39% | 27% | 40% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 0% | 56% | 33% |
- All of Dalian Professional's away-matches have had more than 2,5 goals.
- Dalian Professional has the fewest clean sheets (0)
- Dalian Professional has the fewest scored goals in the first half (2)
- Dalian Professional has the most conceded goals (7) away
- Dalian Professional has the most conceded goals in the second half (10)
- Dalian Professional has the most dropped points from leading position (7)
- Dalian Professional have failed to keep a clean sheet in all their matches.
- Dalian Professional have scored in all their away matches so far.
- Dalian Professional have won significantly less corners away then at home.
- Dalian Professional have yet to win a game.
- Dalian Professional haven’t played a single 0-0 game.
- Dalian Professional is in the worst form (0-3-3)
- Shandong Luneng has the fewest conceded goals (5)
- Shandong Luneng has the fewest conceded goals in the first half (1)
- Shandong Luneng have scored at least twice as many goals as they have conceded.
- Shandong Luneng have won significantly less corners at home than away.
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Guangzhou Evergrande | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 11 | 16 |
| 2 | Shandong Luneng | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 16 |
| 3 | Jiangsu Suning | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 11 |
| 4 | Shanghai Shenhua | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | Shenzhen | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -2 | 7 |
| 6 | Guangzhou R&F | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -12 | 7 |
| 7 | Henan Jianye | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | -3 | 6 |
| 8 | Dalian Professional | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | -4 | 3 |
- South China Morning Post - News (in English)