[2026 Chinese Super League] Zhejiang FC vs Shanghai Port: Match Preview Kick-off: 21:00 on 9 October (Korea time)
Zhejiang FC host Shanghai Port at Hangzhou Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium at 21:00 Korea time on 9 October in Round 27 of the 2026 Chinese Super League. With four games left, the sides are separated by two points. It is also a meeting between Zhejiang coach Ross Aloisi and Shanghai Port boss Kevin Muscat, who previously worked together as assistant and head coach.
1. Match overview and team form
Shanghai Port have 33 points from 26 matches, with 10 wins, eight draws and eight defeats. Zhejiang FC have 31 points, with 10 wins, six draws and 10 defeats. Both teams started the season with a five-point deduction. A Zhejiang win would take them above Shanghai Port, while a Shanghai Port victory would keep them in pursuit of the top four, currently five points away. Zhejiang opened up a gap on the relegation zone with a September win over Wuhan Three Towns, but they still have plenty to play for as they look to climb the table.
Recent form needs to be viewed in the context of where the games were played. Shanghai Port’s last 20 competitive matches, according to the data centre, have brought eight wins, nine draws and three defeats. In their 11 away games over that run, they recorded six wins, three draws and two defeats, scoring 23 goals and conceding 18. They have won their last four away matches, but have still let in plenty of goals. At home, they drew 0-0 with Beijing Guoan despite taking 21 shots. Away, they conceded first against Wuhan Three Towns and Chongqing Tonglianglong before winning both games 3-2. Their away form has owed more to outscoring opponents than controlling games defensively.
Zhejiang have scored 45 goals and conceded 43 in 26 league matches. Their last five games have produced two wins, a draw and two defeats. At home, they beat Yunnan Yukun 6-0 and Wuhan Three Towns 4-1, but lost 3-2 to Chengdu Rongcheng after going 2-0 up. Their ability to score first and their ability to protect a lead are separate issues. Mitriță has led both the scoring and creative efforts with 10 goals and 12 assists this season. Tolić has also contributed, with four assists against Yunnan Yukun and two goals against Wuhan Three Towns.
The two managers have handled their line-ups and substitutions differently. Aloisi has kept his key players in place and filled gaps caused by international duty or injuries. Muscat used a 4-4-2 against Beijing Guoan in the league in September, then switched to a 3-4-3 for the AFC Champions League Elite match against Ratchaburi. A 4-4-2 looks like the more relevant reference for this league game, though the starting shape is not confirmed. Shanghai Port have mainly used Wu Lei off the bench, while Zhejiang have let leads slip after taking off key attackers. The choices made in the second half could matter.
Team Zhejiang FC: Player Wang Yudong / Pre-match status and role: Doubtful with cold symptoms. A left-sided dribbler. Zhejiang FC: Players Park Jin-seop and Gao Di / Pre-match status and role: Park has cold symptoms; Gao is working his way back to fitness after an injury. Shanghai Port: Player Zhang Guangtai / Pre-match status and role: Ruled out with an injury. Leaves a gap in central defence.
Wang Yudong scored in Zhejiang’s 2-2 away draw with Shanghai Port in May and helped create another goal. If he is unavailable, Zhejiang will have one fewer dribbler to trouble defenders from a different angle to Mitriță. Still, they scored four goals through Tolić and Mitriță in September against Wuhan Three Towns, when Wang Yudong was also absent. Park Jin-seop can play as a defensive midfielder or centre-back, so his fitness could affect Zhejiang’s ability to cut off passes to the opposition forwards. Zhang Guangtai did not travel with Shanghai Port to Hangzhou. Zhang Linpeng has been mentioned as a possible replacement, but the starting line-up is not confirmed.
Zhejiang’s last competitive match was on 18 September, while Shanghai Port last played on 15 September. They have had 21 and 24 days between matches respectively, though players who were away with their national teams have not had that full time off. Shanghai Port also have a home AFC Champions League Elite match against Daejeon Hana Citizen four days later. Muscat has not announced a rotation, so we cannot assume he will rest players today. The next fixture could still factor into the timing and purpose of substitutions if Shanghai Port take the lead.
The 2-2 draw in May offers a glimpse of the attacking routes to watch today. Zhejiang scored after Mitriță and Wang Yudong’s runs led to loose balls, while Shanghai Port scored twice from low crosses delivered by players who had advanced down the flanks. The managers are meeting again, but the venue has changed. Wang Yudong and Gao Di, who both featured in Zhejiang’s attacks that day, are fitness concerns, while Shanghai Port are without Zhang Guangtai in central defence. Rather than expect the same result, we should look at how many of the conditions that created those goals are still in place.
2. Match-up analysis
When Zhejiang have the ball and look to get it to Mitriță and Tolić, Shanghai Port can look to win possession and feed their forwards. Zhejiang have averaged 53% possession this season and kept attacking after scoring in their big home wins. Shanghai Port have taken advantage of turnovers: away to Chongqing Tonglianglong, Xi Yang dispossessed a defender before Leonardo scored, while Ampem intercepted a pass from the back and scored against Wuhan Three Towns. If Zhejiang lose the ball in their own half, Leonardo and Ampem could get chances quickly.
Zhejiang have had games that show why they need to be careful in those situations. Against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, goalkeeper Bo Zhao failed to deal with a cross cleanly and they conceded early. A poor pass out from the back and a clearance error also led to a goal against Liaoning Tieren. That does not make every attempt to play out from the back dangerous. If Zhejiang keep hold of the first pass and find Mitriță, Shanghai Port will have to deal with his runs using a central defence without Zhang Guangtai. The direction of the attack today may depend on whether Zhejiang lose the ball in their own half more often or find Mitriță in advanced areas more often.
Mitriță takes on defenders from the centre-forward, wide and attacking midfield positions. In May, he dribbled past defenders near the penalty area and shot, with Wang Yudong scoring from the rebound after Yan Junling saved. If Zhang Linpeng starts at centre-back, he and Wei Zhen will need to decide who steps out to Mitriță and who covers behind. Zhang Linpeng has played 461 league minutes this season. Still, he and Wei Zhen started together away to Shenzhen Peng City in a 1-0 win and clean sheet. Zhang Guangtai’s absence alone is not enough to guarantee Zhejiang a goal.
Wang Yudong’s availability directly affects this contest. If he plays, Zhejiang can threaten with Mitriță on the ball and with runs from the left half-space. If he is out, Shanghai Port may find it easier to put extra defenders around Mitriță. Gao Di is working his way back after an injury, while Felippe has returned and could start. Whoever fills Wang Yudong’s place, we should not expect a repeat of the dribbling and rebound threat he showed in May. Tolić’s link-up with Cheng Jin remains an alternative route, as it was for Zhejiang’s early opener against Wuhan Three Towns.
The flanks offer both sides attacking chances and defensive work. Shanghai Port’s Shuai Li got to the left byline in the 81st minute of the May meeting and set up the equaliser with a low cross. If Zhejiang push forward around Mitriță and lose possession, they will need to recover quickly to defend Shanghai Port’s wide attacks. On the other hand, if Shuai Li is caught upfield when Zhejiang win the ball, Mitriță or Tao Qianglong could attack the space behind him. The number of forward runs from the full-backs may also depend on which side scores first.
What happens after a team takes the lead matters as much as how it scores. Zhejiang went 2-0 up against Chengdu Rongcheng by the 16th minute but conceded three goals and lost. They also failed to protect a 2-1 lead against Shanghai Port in May. Shanghai Port have let a 2-0 advantage slip away at Yunnan Yukun and conceded four after leading 4-0 away to Ratchaburi. The Ratchaburi match involved several substitutions with a big lead, so it is not directly comparable to today’s defensive situation. Still, both teams have let opponents create chances after taking the lead.
If Zhejiang score first, Shanghai Port can push their full-backs forward and use attacking options such as Wu Lei or Leonardo to get back into the game. If Shanghai Port score first, Zhejiang will look to create more chances for Mitriță and Tolić at home. If Muscat makes an early attacking substitution with the fixture four days away in mind, Zhejiang may still have time to chase an equaliser. If Shanghai Port keep their attackers on and Zhejiang continue to lose the ball in their own half, the visitors could add to their tally. A substitution will not automatically lead to a goal either way; its impact depends on the score.
Both teams have routes to goal from crosses and set pieces. Shanghai Port’s Wei Zhen headed in a cross away to Wuhan Three Towns, while Zhejiang’s Park Jin-seop scored with a header against Chengdu Rongcheng. Zhejiang commit plenty of fouls this season, though that figure alone does not tell us how many free-kicks they have conceded in dangerous areas. It will also matter who gets to the loose ball after a cross. In May, Yan Junling saved Mitriță’s shot before Wang Yudong scored from the rebound, and Gao Di finished after a loose ball from one of Wang Yudong’s runs.
3. Verdict and prediction
The likeliest scenario is a close game in which either side can respond after falling behind. At home, Zhejiang can look to Mitriță’s dribbling and Tolić’s link-up play for goals. Shanghai Port can reply by winning the ball in Zhejiang’s half or getting down the flanks to deliver low crosses. Both sides have recently conceded after taking the lead. Even if one team goes in front early, second-half substitutions and defending out wide could decide the result.
The market gives Shanghai Port a narrow edge on the strength of last season’s title and their away winning streak, with a draw rated as the least likely result. Shanghai Port’s attacks, built around exploiting opponents when they push forward, can work again today. We differ on what happens after they take the lead. Without Zhang Guangtai, their defence must deal with Mitriță, and if Shanghai Port go ahead, substitution decisions could affect their ability to protect that lead with the AFC Champions League Elite match four days away. Zhejiang, too, will have to handle Shanghai Port’s wide attacks if they go in front. Both teams have ways to score, so we rate the draw as more likely than the market does.
Our score prediction is Zhejiang FC 2-2 Shanghai Port. If Mitriță puts Zhejiang ahead, Shanghai Port can respond with runs down the flanks and attacking substitutions. If Shanghai Port score first by winning possession, Zhejiang can keep pushing at home and look for an equaliser. Zhejiang’s central runs will test a defence without Zhang Guangtai, while Shanghai Port’s away attack will test Zhejiang’s handling of the ball at the back and their defending after taking the lead. Shanghai Port’s next fixture could also shape their substitutions if they are ahead, so we expect the sides to share four goals. The forecast could change if Muscat delays his substitutions and keeps his side’s defensive shape intact while ahead.
