Don't duck a bet on Pato playing starring role

Tianjin Quanjian v Shanghai Shenhua
Sky Sports 5, 12.35pm Sunday

Tianjin Quanjian have splashed the cash once more to sign striker Anthony Modeste from Cologne and the arrival of the Frenchman could perk up fellow forward Alexandre Pato.

Fabio Cannavaro's men host Gus Poyet's Shanghai Shenhua and in a tricky match to call it could be worth backing Pato - nicknamed the Duck - to leave the visiting rearguard going quackers.

Modeste should make a difference to Quanjian in time but he has had no pre-season because of a dispute with Cologne and arrived in China earlier this week, so Pato and fellow foreign recruit Axel Witsel are likely to remain the key men for a while yet.

Quanjian have scored in 14 of their 16 league matches and eight-goal Pato is the biggest threat. The much-travelled Brazilian averages 3.7 shots per game and next highest is Wang Yongpo on just 1.7.

Shenhua have plenty of high-earners in their squad, none more so than Carlos Tevez, but the Argentinian has not looked overly motivated to get himself fit and last played on June 24.

In total Tevez has featured for just 682 minutes and scored twice in a poor season for Poyet's side.

They needed a couple of late goals to grab an unlikely and controversial draw against Fabio Capello's struggling Jiangsu Suning last time out which suggests the home win is the most likely result in Tianjin.

Recommendation
A Pato first goalscorer
1pt 7-2 bet365

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