Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
Shanghai Shenhua
Vissel Kobe
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The 8th round of the AFC Champions League will feature a match between Shanghai Shenhua and Vissel Kobe. The game will take place in China on Tuesday, February 18, with a kickoff time of 13:00 CET. I suggest betting on the total goals in this match.
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Match Preview
Shanghai Shenhua has had a poor performance in this year's AFC Champions League but still has a chance to progress to the playoffs. The match against the Japanese team Vissel Kobe will be decisive, but not everything is in the hands of the Chinese club.
A single win might not be enough, and they will need help from their rivals. Pohang Steelers must lose their match, and Shanghai Port should not win theirs. While this scenario seems unlikely, there is still a slim chance for Shenhua to make it through.
Vissel Kobe has already secured a place in the round of 16, so the final match of the group stage won't hold much significance for them. Interestingly, the team plays quite differently at home and away, which is reflected in their results.
Recently, Vissel Kobe began their campaign in the Japanese J-League with a loss in the Super Cup to Hiroshima, followed by a 0-0 draw against Urawa in the first league match.
Match Facts
- Shanghai Shenhua has won only one of their last three home matches.
- Vissel Kobe has scored in the last eight consecutive away matches.
- Shanghai Shenhua averages 1.8 goals per game at home, while Vissel Kobe averages 1.2 goals per game away.
Probable Lineups
- Shanghai Shenhua: Bao, Manafa, Jiang, Zhu, Chan, Wu, Amadou, Yang, Teixeira, Saulo, Andre Luis.
- Vissel Kobe: Maekawa, Honda, Tuler, Yamakawa, Sakai, Kawasaki, Ogihara, Sasaki, Yuruki, Muto, Osako.
Head-to-Head
The teams have never faced each other before.
Prediction
Bookmakers consider Shanghai Shenhua as the favorites, with a theoretical chance of reaching the playoffs. However, I believe the match will not be very high-scoring, and I suggest betting on a total of fewer than 3 goals for the game.
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