Tampines Rovers vs Shanghai Shenhua Prediction

Form on both sides is up and down

Tampines Rovers' last five matches across competitions include two wins, a draw and a loss to Machida Zelvia in this same continental competition, so there's enough quality there without being flawless.

Tampines Rovers: 20 completed matches; Shanghai Shenhua: 20 completed matches.

Tampines Rovers

20 matches

Win

50% 10 / 20

Draw

20% 4 / 20

Loss

30% 6 / 20

Scored

45

Conceded

27

Difference

+18

Shanghai Shenhua

20 matches

Win

55% 11 / 20

Draw

10% 2 / 20

Loss

35% 7 / 20

Scored

42

Conceded

29

Difference

+13

Shanghai Shenhua's recent run is similarly mixed, a loss to Sichuan Jiuniu followed by a win away at Wuhan Three Towns and a goalless draw with Svay Rieng. Across their last 20 matches they've scored freely (42 goals) but also shipped plenty at the back (29 conceded), which lines up with some big, open scorelines in their recent results.

Neither side looks settled defensively, which could make for an open game rather than a cagey one.

Comparative Team Statistics: Tampines Rovers vs Shanghai Shenhua

One meeting so far, and Shenhua won it

The only previous meeting between these two in this run was back in September, when Shanghai Shenhua beat Tampines Rovers 2-1 on their own ground.

That result is part of why Shenhua currently sit above Tampines in the group, but it was a single match several weeks ago rather than a settled pattern.

How the group looks right now

From the two matches recorded in this group so far, Shanghai Shenhua sit second with four points from a win and a draw, while Tampines Rovers are fourth having lost both of their games.

It's a small sample, just two matches each, so it reflects the group stage to date rather than a settled pecking order.

Shenhua arrive with more continental points on the board, even if the gap is built on very few games.

Who's been doing the damage for Tampines

On the home side, Higashikawa and Buhagiar have each scored four goals this season, while Kazama leads the assist charts with four. Yoshimoto isn't far behind with three.

Tampines Rovers:

Best scorers:

H. Higashikawa - 4

T. Buhagiar - 4

Best assist providers:

K. Kazama - 4

T. Yoshimoto - 3

H. Higashikawa - 2

Penalty cards:

I. Najeeb x 3

T. Ndao x 3

Najeeb and Ndao have picked up three yellow cards apiece, worth knowing given how physical some of these continental group games can get.

What this one might look like

Tampines will want to put right that September defeat and climb off the bottom of this mini-table, especially after back-to-back continental losses heading into this fixture.

Shenhua, for their part, have shown they can win comfortably (that 7-1 at home to Yunnan Yukun stands out) but have also lost and drawn recently, so there's no guarantee they'll turn up at their sharpest.