Leo Peterson
Dailysports's expert
Shanghai Port
Yokohama F.Marinos
On February 19, 2025, at the Pudong Stadium in Shanghai, the 8th round of the AFC Champions League will feature a match between Shanghai Port and Yokohama. I suggest placing a bet on goals in this game.
Preview
Shanghai Port urgently needs a win in this match as they sit in 9th place, just one point behind the qualification zone for the playoffs. A positive result will not automatically guarantee progress, but depending on the outcomes of the other group games, it could keep their hopes alive.
Shanghai Port is the defending Chinese champion, but the team is lacking match fitness, as the new season in the domestic league has yet to start. Ahead of the match against Yokohama, the Chinese club has played only two official matches this month — both resulting in losses. In the Chinese Super Cup, Shanghai Port was defeated 2-3 by Shanghai Shenhua, and in the AFC Champions League, they were heavily beaten 0-4 by Vissel Kobe in Japan.
During the winter transfer window, key players left the team: Brazilian Oscar and Argentine Matias Vargas, both of whom were free agents. These players were among the best in the squad and had contributed a combined total of 6 goals and 6 assists in the Champions League.
Yokohama, on the other hand, confidently leads their group after seven rounds and has already secured a place in the playoffs. However, their final position is still undecided. A defeat, combined with favorable results for their competitors, could see the Japanese club drop to 4th place, which would complicate matters as it would affect the quality of their opponent in the next round.
The Japanese league has just begun, and Yokohama has had a shaky start, drawing 1-1 at home against Albirex Niigata. However, they did manage to secure an important 1-0 win in the AFC Champions League this month, defeating another Chinese side, Shanghai Shenhua.
Possible Lineups
- Shanghai: Wang, Shuai Li, Ang Li, Zhang, Ming, Hin Hu, Mateus, Feng, Mateus Vital, Gabrielzinho, Gustavo
- Yokohama: Pak, Matsubara, Kinyones, Watanabe, Inoue, Kida, Jean Claude, Negato, Yan, Uenaka, Anderson Lopes
Match Facts
- Yokohama has scored at least two goals in all of their last six away games.
- Only in one of those matches did the team keep a clean sheet.
- In all three of Shanghai's home games in the Champions League, the "both teams to score" bet has been successful.
Head-to-Head
The teams have met twice in history, with both clubs securing a win in their respective away games.
Prediction
Shanghai must win to keep their hopes of advancing to the playoffs alive, but doing so without their key players will be challenging. Yokohama has a similar objective — to secure the top spot in the group. Given the statistics, a bet on "both teams to score" with odds of 1.57 seems highly reasonable.
