Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and Cangzhou Mighty Lions draw the curtain in round 10 of the Chinese Super League when they square off at the Meixian Tsang Hin-chi Stadium on Tuesday.
The Tigers are unbeaten in each of their last five home games against Svetozar Sapuric's men since 2015 and will look to keep this fine record alive and kicking.
Match preview
Tianjin Jinmen Tiger were condemned to a second defeat on the bounce last Friday when they were beaten 2-1 by Chengdu Qingdao at the Wuhua Hengpi Football Town.
After trailing to Ruibao Hu's first-half opener, Dun Ba struck six minutes into the second period to restore parity, but Mutellip Iminqari struck in the 73rd minute to hand the hosts their first win of the season.
Prior to that, the Tigers saw their run of three consecutive victories come to an end on July 3 when they suffered a similar 2-1 loss against Beijing Guoan courtesy of a brace from Samir Memisevic.
Tianjin Jinmen Tiger have now picked up three wins, two draws and lost four of their nine games this season to collect 11 points and sit 12th in the Super League table, level on points with 11th-placed Changchun Yatai.
Yu Genwei's men will fancy their chances of arresting their slump as they go up against an opposing side who they are unbeaten against in five consecutive home encounters since 2015.
On the other hand, Cangzhou Mighty Lions failed to find their feet as they suffered a 2-1 against Shenzhen when the sides met at the Huitang Stadium last Thursday.
Sapuric's side upped the ante after falling behind to Fuyu Ma's 21st-minute opener as Tsun Dai struck in the 34th minute to level matters before Shuai Pei completed the turnaround in the 65th minute.
Cangzhou Mighty Lions have now failed to taste victory in each of their last eight games, picking up four draws and losing four since a 2-1 victory over Beijing Guoan in the season opener on June 5.
This poor run has been owing to their lethargic display at the attacking end of the pitch, where they hold one of the division's fourth-poorest record with seven goals scored so far.
With seven points from nine games, Cangzhou Mighty Lions are currently 15th in the league standings, four points above and one place above fellow strugglers Guangzhou FC in the relegation zone.
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Team News
With his strike against Chengdu Qingdao last time out, Ba has now scored four goals in his last five outings and we expect the former Beijing Guoan man to spearhead the attack once again.
He should be supported in the final third by Farley Rosa and former Saint-Etienne striker Robert Beric, while 31-year-off Yinong Tian should retain his role at the centre of the park.
On the injury front, David Andujar is a doubt for the Tigers after the Spanish defender came off with a knock midway through the game against Chengdu Qingdao.
As for Cangzhou Mighty Lions, Fuyu Ma opened his account for the season with his opener on Thursday and the 21-year-old should retain his place in the starting XI.
Thirty-three-year-old Yun Yang has started each of the visitors' nine games this season and we expect the former Shanghai Shenhua man to marshal the defence once again, teaming up with the quicker and younger Yang Yiming.
Tianjin Jinmen Tiger possible starting lineup:
Xu; Wang, Yue, Yang, Su; Shi, Beric, Tian, Wang, Ba; Xie
Cangzhou Mighty Lions possible starting lineup:
Shao; Liu, Yang, Yang; Yang, Lin, Abdusalam, Jiang; Iskandar, Ma, Maritu
We say: Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 2-2 Cangzhou Mighty Lions
Cangzhou Mighty Lions have struggled with life in the big leagues, managing just one win from their opening nine games. The Tigers, meanwhile, have suffered a slump in form in recent weeks and we predict that both sides will settle for a share of the spoils.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joshua Ojele
