The AFC Champions League season begins with Shanghai Port facing Kobe on Wednesday, September 17, at 14:14 CET. Here’s an overview of the match.
Shanghai Port vs Kobe: Match Facts
- Both teams have lost just one of their last five matches.
- Shanghai Port is unbeaten in their last five home games, with three wins and two draws.
- Kobe has lost only once in their last four away matches.
- Shanghai Port has scored in every one of their last 25 matches.
- Kobe has kept a clean sheet in 25% of their games this season, while Shanghai Port has done so in 12% of their matches.
- Shanghai Port has not recorded a clean sheet this season; Kobe has achieved this in 19% of their games.
- Shanghai Port has scored in both halves in 50% of their matches; for Kobe, it’s 17%.
- Kobe has conceded in both halves in 6% of their matches, while Shanghai Port has a rate of 23%.
- The teams have previously met twice, with Kobe winning both times: 2-0 and 4-0.
Shanghai Port vs Kobe: Match Preview
Shanghai Port won the Chinese Super League title for the second year in a row last season and is competing in the AFC Champions League again. They finished eighth in the Eastern Conference last season but reached the playoffs, where they lost to Yokohama Marinos 1-5 on aggregate. This season, they have 51 points from 24 games, placing them second, just two points behind the leaders. However, they lost their key player, Oscar, this summer when his contract expired.
Kobe also secured consecutive J.League titles and is in contention for the title again, with 54 points from 30 rounds, trailing the leaders by one point. Last season in the AFC Champions League, they finished fifth in the East and reached the playoffs, winning the first leg of the round of 16 2-0 but losing the second leg 0-3. This season, Kobe is considered a strong contender to advance from the group stage.
Probable Lineups
- Shanghai Port: Yan Junling, Browning, Li An, Wang Zhenhao, Li Shuai, Wei Zhen, Xu Xin, Matheus Vital, Matheus Yussa, Gustavo, Leonardo
- Kobe: Maekawa, Hirose, Iwanami, Thuler, Yamakawa, Kawasaki, Ide, Ogahara, Miyashiro, Sasaki, Osako
Prediction
Both teams are looking to start their AFC Champions League campaign with a win. Despite their strong domestic performance, this match is expected to have fewer goals. A suggested bet is for the total to be under 3 goals.