Surprise team Chongqing Lifan FC (1-1-0, 3 points) is set to take on last season's runner-up squad Shanghai SIPG FC (0-1-1, 1 point) at the Chongqing Olympic Sports Center on Saturday, April 2nd as the newly-opened 2016 Chinese Super League season moves forward.

Chongqing Lifan, last season's eighth-placed squad and the season-opener conqueror of five-time CSL champions Guangzhou Evergrande, was nipped by undefeated team Henan Jianye, 1-0, also at their home stadium in their previous game on March 13th to split their first two games of the season, via Sofa Score.

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Manager Chang Woe-ryong's boys were not able to penetrate the net of Henan goalkeeper Wang Guoming in this match while Red Devils defender Edigeison Gomes scored the lone goal of the contest at the 21st minute off an assist by Brazilian midfielder Ivo.

Chongqing's top scorer, Brazilian winger Fernandinho, who scored both goals for Lifan during their 2-1 conquest of the Southern China Tigers in their season-opening match, was off-target the whole game as his club is now on a five-team tie for fifth place in the current league table all with identical records.

Meanwhile, Shanghai SIPG is currently struggling and still has not registered any wins in their first two outings.

The Sven-Göran Eriksson-managed squad dropped its opener to Henan Jianye, 0-1, on March 5th on the road before they settled for a 1-1 draw with Shanghai Shenhua in a Shanghai derby at home on March 11th, as per Soccerway.

Shenhua opened the scoring during the derby with a seventh minute goal from team captain Giovanni Moreno from an assist by midfielder Qin Sheng.

The game was equalized two minutes before the halftime break by SIPG defensive midfielder Cai Huikang to help the Red Eagles salvage a share of the point in the overall standings and avoid a second straight loss to open the season.

The predicted result is a 2-0 victory for Shanghai SIPG to bounce back from their struggles and earn their first win of the season.

Chongqing Lifan starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Deng; Xu Y., Luo, Milovic, Xu X.; Wu, Jung, Wang, Feng; Gigliotti, Fernandinho  

Shanghai SIPG starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Yan; Sun, Shi, Kim, Wang; Yu, Cai; Elkeson, Conca, Wu; Gyan

TagsChina Football, China football 2016, Chinese Super League, Chinese Super League 2016, 2016 Chinese Super League, Chongqing Lifan FC, Shanghai SIPG FC