- Team form: Hangzhou Linping Wuyue play in the China League Two and are in mid-table with around 11 points from ten games.
- Opposition status: Dalian Young Boy FC are third in the Chinese Super League with 22 points from 15 games, making this a real David vs Goliath FA Cup match-up.
- Tactics: Hangzhou Linping Wuyue are compact and organised under coach Lei Xu, who has set up his team to thrive off wing play, set-pieces and counter-attacking rather than sustained possession.
David vs Goliath in Linping
It's a meeting of the very far east in Linping on Friday when China League Two Hangzhou Linping Wuyue take on Chinese Super League powerhouse Dalian Young Boy FC. The home side will be looking to make history by progressing in this FA Cup tie, but it looks an impossible task for them, given Dalian's top-flight quality and squad depth.
Both teams will be hoping to progress to the next round and will therefore be expected to give it their all. It's true that a passionate home crowd and the smaller Linping Sports Center Stadium could lead to a goal-fest, but this is not Hangzhou's natural game and there's no guarantee that they can break through Dalian's defense.
A Dalian side will take the game to their third-tier opponents, but they have been leaking goals recently, so they may have a little more to prove than their odds of 1.57 would suggest. The visitors have won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five Chinese Super League matches, but they did beat Chengdu Rongcheng 2-0 last weekend.
Hangzhou could frustrate Dalian
Tactical contrast
The game could be a contrast in styles and philosophies between a high-pressing 4-4-2 from the visitors and a compact shape from the hosts, who have kept two clean sheets in their last three home cup games. The two teams have never previously met in a competitive match-up, but Hangzhou have shown in the first two rounds of this competition that they are able to grind out a narrow win with solid defending and a clinical edge from set-piece situations.
Conditions and key players
The hosts can be an tough to play against if they maintain their shape, but the warm and humid conditions will be a factor for both squads on Friday, which could favour the depth of Dalian, who could rotate players more easily.
- Lei Xu will look to Gao Tianyu on the right wing to beat his man and deliver dangerous crosses.
- The Dalian front line has the pace to stretch the home defence and Malele is an aerial threat and a finisher on the break, which will suit the way his team set up to play.
- Jin Haoxiang provides the composure and organisation in defense to hang in there for his side, which will be key to keeping this FA Cup game close enough for them to get a second wind.
Prediction
We are taking Both Teams to Score – No at 1.91 because we don't think this is Hangzhou's kind of game and they might not be able to unlock a defensively organised Dalian defense. And even if they do, Li Guoxu's side should have the quality and the momentum to finish off the tie.
