Tianjin Jinmen Tiger vs Meizhou Hakka

Olympic Sports Center Stadium plays host to a mid-table Chinese Super League clash between Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and Meizhou Hakka.

A quick-fire double inside the opening 16 minutes of play fired Tianjin JT to a comfortable 2-0 win away to Cangzhou Mighty Lions last time out. More importantly, it helped the ‘Tigers’ arrest an abysmal four-game winless start to the new Chinese Suepr league season (D2, L2) and steer themselves away from the relegation zone. However, Yu Genwei’s men have conceded first in both home league matches this term, going winless on both occasions (D1, L1). Indeed, it takes Tianjin a while to trouble the scoreboard, as both top-flight home goals they have scored this season arrived on or beyond the 60th minute. By contrast, Dejan Radonjic’s 24th-minute equaliser handed Tianjin a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture on Matchday 1.

On the other hand, the newly-promoted Meizhou Hakka have yet to lose a single Chinese Super League fixture this term. Yet, four of their five top-flight games have ended level (W1), including the last two in a row. Before a scoreless draw away to Chengdu Rongcheng in their most recent league outing, Meizhou’s four previous top-flight games had witnessed both sides scoring. Since three of those four matches featured both teams on the scoresheet before half-time, an action-packed first half could be on the cards. Adding to this sentiment, two of Meizhou’s three away league goals scored this term have come inside the final 15 minutes of the first half.