Levi Rothermund
Two mid-table sides meet at the Yuxi Plateau Sports Center Stadium in what looks like a genuinely open match on paper. Yunnan Yukun sit 9th with 21 points from 16 games, and Shanghai Port are just one point behind in 10th from one game more. The gap is thin, and both teams need wins to avoid getting dragged into the bottom half of the Chinese Super League standings. What makes this fixture interesting is that Shanghai Port have lost all three previous meetings between these sides, including a 1-2 defeat earlier in this very season.
Oscar Maritu has been the standout figure for Yunnan Yukun in recent weeks, registering 2 goals and 2 assists across the last two appearances. His movement and link-up play in the final third give Jordi Vinyals’ side a focal point that Shanghai Port will need to manage carefully. For the visitors, Mateus Vital has been pulling strings in midfield, contributing 1 assist and showing the highest pass accuracy among regular starters, and his ability to connect play between the lines could be decisive if Kevin Muscat’s side is to finally break their losing run in this fixture.
Hot stat: Yunnan Yukun scored 7 goals across their last five matches while taking 45 total shots, compared to Shanghai Port’s 24 shots and 5 goals in the same span. The hosts are generating nearly double the volume of attempts.
| 🏆 Tournament: | Chinese Super League 2026, Regular Season |
| 🏟 Venue: | Yuxi Plateau Sports Center Stadium, Yuxi |
| 🗓️ Date: | 17.07.2026 |
| ⏰ Time: | 14:00 CEST |
Yunnan Yukun vs Shanghai Port Prediction
The bookmakers have this almost coin-flip, with Yunnan Yukun at 39% and Shanghai Port at 37%. We think that slightly undervalues the home side given their recent output. Yunnan Yukun have scored in all five of their last matches, their attack has been far more active in terms of shot volume, and they hold home advantage at altitude in Yuxi, which is not a trivial factor.
Shanghai Port’s season has been rough. They have won just 4 from 23 games this year, and their last five matches show a pattern of narrow results and inconsistency. They beat Henan and Shanghai Segenda by a single goal each, but lost to Qingdao Youth Island and Liaoning Tieren. This is not a team in convincing form.
Yunnan Yukun’s style leans toward direct, attack-minded football. They commit fewer fouls (7 across the last five matches) and generate corners at a high rate (23 in five games). Shanghai Port, by contrast, foul much more heavily (31 fouls in five matches) and earn far fewer corners (16). This pattern suggests Yunnan Yukun will spend more time in the attacking third and force the game on their terms. Shanghai Port’s high foul count also creates set-piece opportunities for the hosts.
We lean toward a Yunnan Yukun win, with goals on both ends given Shanghai Port do find the net with some regularity despite their struggles.
| 🔥Hot Tip: | Yunnan Yukun to win both halves |
| ⚽Total Goals: | Over 2.5 |
| 💥Both Teams To Score: | Yes |
| 🎯Total Corners: | Over 9.5 |
Team Analysis
Yunnan Yukun have been inconsistent across the season but showed real attacking quality in their most recent run. Their last match was a 3-4 loss to Shandong Taishan, a strong side ranked much higher globally, so that defeat carries less weight than it might appear. Before that, they put 4 past Suzhou Dongwu, drew 1-1 with Wuhan Three Towns, and lost narrowly to Qingdao Youth Island. The Shandong game showed they can score freely even against better opposition. Oscar Maritu and Cléber Bomfim de Jesus (2 goals in limited minutes) both offer serious goal threat, and Alexandru Ionita provides craft in midfield with a goal and 2 free kick attempts from just one appearance.
Shanghai Port have been grinding through matches without much conviction. Their most recent outing ended in a 1-2 loss to Qingdao Youth Island, a team sitting just one place above them in the standings. Before that, they beat Henan Songshan Longmen 2-1 and Shanghai Segenda 2-1, but also lost 2-3 to Liaoning Tieren. The pattern is clear: they can win against similarly ranked or weaker opponents, but they concede regularly and their overall season record of 4 wins from 23 matches is alarming. Yan Junling has made 9 saves across three recent matches, which tells you how much pressure their defence has been under. Kodjo Jean Claude has chipped in with a goal from midfield, and Liu Zhurun and Li Xinxiang have both scored, but the attack lacks the consistency to make up for defensive vulnerabilities.
Most Recent Head-to-Head Matches
| Statistic | Yunnan Yukun | Shanghai Port |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 9 |
🚨Check out our dedicated Yunnan Yukun vs Shanghai Port stats page for more info.
Pre-game Odds and Win Probability: An Even Contest
- Moneyline Yunnan Yukun 2.45 | Shanghai Port 2.50
- Draw 3.80
The moneyline odds are genuinely close, with most books offering near-identical prices on both sides around 2.45-2.55. Honestly, those prices feel a touch generous for Yunnan Yukun given the context: home advantage, better recent form, higher shot volume, and a head-to-head record that favours them despite the scorelines going against them in their last three meetings. The draw at 3.80 is not particularly attractive given both teams’ tendency to produce goals. We think the value sits with the home win and the over on total goals.
Possible Starting Lineups
Yunnan Yukun Possible Starting Eleven
- GK: Bao Yaxiong
- DF: Andrei Burcă, Zhang Chenliang, Tsui Wang-Kit, Deng Hanwen
- MF: Caio Vinicius da Conceição, Ye Chugui, Alexandru Ionita, Bunyamin Abdusalam
- FW: Oscar Maritu, Huang Zichang
Jordi Vinyals has settled into a 4-2-3-1 shape, and the players above reflect the most consistent starters across recent matches. Andrei Burcă anchors the defence with 3 interceptions and 180 minutes played. Caio Vinicius da Conceição and Ye Chugui provide the engine in midfield, with Ye also contributing an assist. Oscar Maritu is the key man upfront: 2 goals, 2 assists, and 7 shots in two games. Alexandru Ionita brings technical quality in the number ten role and is worth watching for set-piece involvement.
Shanghai Port Possible Starting Eleven
- GK: Yan Junling
- DF: Wei Zhen, Li Shuai, Wang Zhen’ao, Umidjan Yusup
- MF: Mateus Vital, Óscar Melendo, Kodjo Jean Claude, Zhang Yuan
- FW: Li Xinxiang, Liu Zhurun
Kevin Muscat has been using a 4-3-3 system, but the available data points to a more compact 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 hybrid in practice. Yan Junling is the clear number one with 9 saves and 180 minutes. Wei Zhen has been one of the more reliable defenders with 102 passes and 2 interceptions. Mateus Vital is the creative hub, recording the highest pass accuracy (114 from 123 attempts) among regular starters, and his partnership with Óscar Melendo gives Shanghai Port their best chance of controlling possession. Li Xinxiang (1 goal, 3 shots) and Liu Zhurun (1 goal) lead the line.
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Yunnan Yukun. Source: Official Facebook. Edited photo
The Verdict
Yunnan Yukun are the team we back to win this. Their shot output (45 in five games vs Shanghai Port’s 24), their corner generation (23 vs 16), and their home record all point in the same direction. Shanghai Port’s season-long struggles, just 4 wins from 23 matches, are hard to ignore, and they have lost every meeting between these two sides. Oscar Maritu’s form makes him a genuine threat, and Alexandru Ionita adds a layer of technical quality that Shanghai Port’s midfield may struggle to contain given their high foul rate.
We predict a Yunnan Yukun win with goals at both ends. The 4-2-3-1 setup gives the hosts enough width and pressing intensity to trouble a Shanghai Port backline that has been leaking chances all season. Maybe the margin is not huge, but a home win in a 2-1 or 3-1 scoreline looks like the most likely outcome based on everything the numbers suggest.
