Henan Songshan Longmen vs Dalian Yingbo Prediction & Betting Tips (21 July)

Henan Songshan Longmen welcome Dalian Yingbo to Zhengzhou Hanghai Stadium in the China FA Cup round of 16, a tie that comes at a tense moment for both clubs. Henan’s recent cup news is positive: on 19 June they travelled to Jiangxi Lushan and produced a professional 2-0 victory to book their place in this stage. In the Super League over the past two months they have mixed results, including a strong 1-2 away win at Beijing Guoan on 23 May and a setback at home against Zhejiang Professional at the end of May. This blend of resilience and inconsistency makes their response to knockout pressure particularly intriguing.

Looking deeper into Henan’s league form, their away performances since mid-May have been especially noteworthy. They edged Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 1-2 on 19 May, a match reflected in our preview at 1-2, and earlier in the spring they beat Yunnan Yukun 2-1 in a high‑tempo clash. More recently, however, they stumbled in the league against Yunnan Yukun on 3 July, losing 2-1 away, which has slightly cooled the optimism around their title push. Still, Henan’s ability to score on the road and their habit of staying competitive in tight matches suggest they will approach this FA Cup tie with confidence rather than caution.

Dalian Yingbo arrive with their own fresh storyline from the cup and league. On 19 June they survived a tricky FA Cup trip to Hangzhou Linping, drawing 1-1 before winning 5-4 on penalties, a result that kept their knockout dreams alive and added belief to the squad. In league play over the last few weeks they have shown attacking intent, highlighted by a thrilling 3-2 victory over Wuhan Three Towns on 4 July. That win followed a run of mixed results, but it underlined Dalian’s capacity to exploit space and punish defensive lapses—qualities that could be crucial against a Henan side that sometimes leaves gaps when pushing forward.

Head‑to‑head history adds another layer to this encounter. In their most recent league meeting on 18 April, Dalian Yingbo overturned a halftime deficit to beat Henan Songshan Longmen 2-1 at home, reinforcing the idea that this matchup rarely stays quiet for long. Across the last three clashes, Dalian have two wins to Henan’s one, yet Henan’s overall goal output has been slightly higher, hinting at a contest where momentum can swing quickly. Balancing Henan’s strong home advantage and Dalian’s lively attack, a narrow margin feels more realistic than a rout, and our preview leans toward a tight FA Cup battle decided by small details, with a projected correct score of 2:1 in favour of Henan Songshan Long