At 19:35 on July 21, Matchday 24 of the Chinese Super League (CSL) will see Henan host Zhejiang. After strengthening their defense in the summer transfer window, Henan hopes to leverage home advantage for revenge. Meanwhile, Zhejiang, typically a weak away team, looks to halt its losing streak on the road.
After 19 rounds, Henan has recorded 5 wins, 6 draws, and 8 losses, placing them 9th in the league table with 24 goals scored and 30 conceded. In their previous 10 home games, they have won 3, drawn 2, and lost 5, ranking 8th in home performance.
Zhejiang has achieved 9 wins, 1 draw, and 9 losses after 19 rounds, making them the team with the fewest draws in the league and placing them 6th in the standings. They have scored 33 goals and conceded 35. In their last 9 away games, they have only 2 wins and 7 losses, scoring 8 and conceding 24 goals, ranking second-to-last in away form.
In the summer transfer window, Henan signed Ye Li Jiang, Ding Haifeng, and He Guan, significantly bolstering their defense. Conversely, Zhejiang’s starting goalkeeper Zhao Bo and defensive midfielder Qian Jiege are out injured for this match. Additionally, in the previous round, Zhejiang’s backup goalkeeper Dong Chunyu and defensive cornerstone Lucas made costly errors leading to goals, casting a shadow over their prospects in this away game.
Despite failing to win in two consecutive league matches, Henan had previously secured three straight victories. Even during these two winless games, aside from a 0-1 loss to Shanghai Port, they drew 0-0 against Shenzhen Xin Pengcheng, with a reassuring defensive display. In their last three home league matches, Henan has won 2 and lost 1, including a 2-1 victory over Beijing Guoan.
Zhejiang is currently suffering consecutive losses across all competitions, conceding 7 goals in just two games. Furthermore, they have lost four consecutive away matches in the CSL, conceding 14 goals, averaging more than 3 goals conceded per game.
In their 24 meetings in the CSL era (including FA Cup), the teams have evenly split with 9 wins, 6 draws, and 9 losses each. However, Zhejiang has only won twice as visitors, with their last victory in Zhengzhou dating back to the 2012 season.
In the first leg this season, Zhejiang triumphed 4-1 at home, but facing a typical away struggler, Henan seeks to capitalize on home advantage for revenge. Meanwhile, Zhejiang needs points to solidify their 6th place position in the league table.
>>For more predictions and analysis for this match, click >>>