TIPS - Shanghai Shenhua VS FC Seoul

[(Shanghai Shenhua) Strength]:
1. Shanghai Shenhua's foreign player Andre Luis returned against Qingdao West Coast, and according to the latest news, he is expected to come on as a substitute in this match, which will undoubtedly enhance the team's attacking strength.
2. Wu Xi scored a goal in the last match, bringing his total to 7 goals this season, tying his personal single-season CSL record (also 7 goals in 2024). His involvement in 12 goals this season (5 assists) also sets a new personal single-season record.
3. Shanghai Shenhua defeated Qingdao West Coast 2-1 in their last match, recording 2 wins and 2 draws in their recent 4 matches across all competitions, with overall commendable performance.
4. Shanghai Shenhua have scored 12 goals in their last 5 home matches, indicating strong attacking firepower and scoring ability at home.

[(Shanghai Shenhua) Neutral]:
1. Shanghai Shenhua have recorded 1 win, 3 draws, and 1 loss in their last 5 home matches, with a win rate of 20%. Their ability to secure wins at home has been relatively average recently, with overall mediocre performance.
2. Shanghai Shenhua have seen only 3 of their last 10 matches end with OVER, indicating their playing style is not particularly open.

[(Shanghai Shenhua) Weakness]:
1. In this season's AFC Champions League Elite, Shanghai Shenhua played against three Korean teams in the first three rounds. Their record against Gangwon FC and Ulsan HD FC in the first two rounds was 1 draw and 1 loss, which is not particularly ideal.
2. Shanghai Shenhua have conceded 8 goals in their last 5 home matches, showing that their defensive performance remains unstable with significant concerns.

[(FC Seoul) Strength]:
1. FC Seoul currently have a significant points gap with the top three in the K League 1 championship group. The possibility of catching up through the single round-robin matches in the championship group to qualify for next season's AFC Champions League Elite is not high, so FC Seoul are likely to focus more on this season's AFC Champions League Elite, showing considerable determination.
2. In this season's AFC Champions League Elite, FC Seoul have registered 7 foreign players. The most notable among them is undoubtedly Jesse Lingard, who is also the highest-valued player in the team with a current Transfermarkt value of 3 million euros. Lingard joined FC Seoul in January 2024. So far this season, he has made 30 appearances, starting 27 times, scoring 7 goals and providing 3 assists.
3. FC Seoul have scored 9 goals in their last 5 matches, showing commendable recent offensive performance.
4. FC Seoul have conceded only 4 goals in their last 5 matches, showing significant improvement and strengthening compared to before, which is worthy of recognition.

[(FC Seoul) Neutral]:
1. Yazan Al-Arab is the defensive core of FC Seoul and has had consistent appearances in the K League 1. He suffered an injury in the home match against Gwangju FC on September 21 and has not been included in the squad for the last 4 matches. His availability for this match remains a major question.
2. FC Seoul lost 1-2 to Pohang Steelers in the final round of the K League 1 regular season last weekend. After 33 rounds, FC Seoul finished 5th in the standings with 45 points from 11 wins, 12 draws, and 10 losses, qualifying for the championship group.
3. The two teams have not faced each other before, so they are evenly matched psychologically.
4. Kim Gi Dong took charge of FC Seoul in 2024. For two consecutive seasons, FC Seoul finished 5th in the regular league. Last season, they ultimately finished 4th in the championship group playoffs and were eliminated in the quarter-final of the Korea Cup for two consecutive years.

[(FC Seoul) Weakness]:
1. FC Seoul have recorded 1 win, 2 draws, and 2 losses in their last 5 away matches, with a win rate of 20%, indicating they are not particularly strong in away games.
2. FC Seoul won two of their last 7 away matches in AH.

[Tips]:
Shanghai Shenhua defeated Qingdao West Coast 2-1 in their last match, recording 2 wins and 2 draws in their recent 4 matches across all competitions, with overall commendable performance.

FC Seoul lost 1-2 to Pohang Steelers in the final round of the K League 1 regular season last weekend, but the team still finished 5th in the standings with 45 points from 11 wins, 12 draws, and 10 losses, qualifying for the championship group.

The two teams have not faced each other before, so they are evenly matched psychologically.

However, Shanghai Shenhua possess strong home attacking power and a recent unbeaten streak.

Although there are defensive concerns, compared to FC Seoul's average away performance, Shanghai Shenhua's home field advantage remains significant.

While FC Seoul have improved defensively, their weak away performances may make it difficult to completely suppress Shanghai Shenhua.

Therefore, Shanghai Shenhua are expected to maintain their unbeaten record at home.

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