Hebei Fortune v Guangzhou Evergrande: Chinese Super League preview & free tip

When to watch

11.35am Wednesday, FreeSports

Best bet

Hebei Fortune or draw double chance
1pt 7-2 Betfair, Paddy Power

Preview

Improving Hebei look a massive price to stop Guangzhou Evergrande and send the Chinese Super League title battle into a final round.

The league leaders need to win in Hebei and hope Beijing Guoan fail to win at Guangzhou R&F to be crowned champions for the eighth time in nine years.

However, they have been stuttering of late and may not fancy their chances at Hebei, who are free from relegation worries with two rounds of games to go and have won two in a row at home.

The hosts are a big price, though given that a draw wouldn't represent the worst possible result for Guangzhou, punting the Hebei or draw double chance could be wise.

It has been a tricky few weeks for the table-toppers, who saw their Asian Champions League dreams ended by Urawa Reds at the semi-finals stage earlier this month with coach Fabio Cannavaro under enormous pressure.

Last week's 2-0 win over third-placed Shanghai SIPG – effectively knocking them out of the title scrap – has bought the Italian some time, though they definitely aren't at their best.

Hebei cannot keep a clean sheet for love nor money – no shutouts in eight – but they are scoring goals, something that wasn't happening earlier in the campaign under Chris Coleman.

New boss Xie Feng has got a serious tune out of Brazilian predator Marcao, who has bagged braces in each of his last two, and free of any pressures Hebei can sign off their home schedule in style.

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