Let your lucky charm do its thing as we dive into the match between Qingdao West Coast and Qingdao Hainiu. First off, it looks like Clark Kent might have missed his flight to Metropolis because both goalkeepers are exhibiting superhuman capabilities. With clean sheets safe on their respective beds, both Pengfei Mu of Qingdao Hainiu and Hao Li of Qingdao West Coast tied at 9 saves, but it's Li who feels closer to sunshine with a season rating of 7.00.
Let's switch channels to the players. For Qingdao Hainiu, consider Elvis Sarić, Wellington Silva, and Nikola Radmanovac as your trifecta. While Saric is enjoying a 93.4% accurate passing rate, we are yet to witness him weave his magic around the net. As for Silva and Radmanovac, the story is similar. A lot of running but no tango with the net yet.
Oh, and let's not forget the warriors from Qingdao West Coast! Davidson, Nelson Luz, and Riccieli are clearly pass masters but are reserving their goal celebrations for future games, it seems. Davidson tops the charts with a 7.60 rating but, alas, no serenade with the back of the net.
Looking back, it's a tie when it's about the last encounter where both teams pulled a deuce and shared the day. However, history vouches more for West Coast with two win badges pinned to their jersey. Yet, the league standings tell a different tale. West Coast's 4-6-5 record struggles to match up to Hainiu's 1-5-9.
Before you place your bets, keep this in mind too: Recent results are like an open tab at a bar. Both the teams seem like they've had their fill with West Coast slurring their way across five matches with only one draw. On the other hand, Hainiu, despite losing their latest three matches, managed to pull off a satisfying 3-0 win earlier.
So, taking all this into account, let me put on my prediction hat. Strap in, folks.
Albert’s Prediction: Qingdao West Coast by 1