Preview: China vs. Myanmar - prediction, team news, lineups

The game will be played at Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium, which is located on the Northern edge of Dalian Bay.

Match preview

China are beginning a new era under their head coach Aleksandar Jankovic, who became the nation's first foreign manager since Marcello Lippi - who famously won the World Cup with Italy in 2006 - departed four years ago.

Jankovic was seemingly rewarded for guiding Dragon's Team to a third-placed finish as interim manager at the EAFF E-1 Football Championship last year, having previously coached China's U19, U20 and U23 teams within the last five years.

The 51-year-old, who enjoyed managerial spells with Standard Liege and his home city club Red Star Belgrade earlier in his career, earned a creditable 0-0 draw against New Zealand in Auckland in his first game in charge three months ago, before losing 2-1 to the same opponents three days later.

Jankovic will be expected to hit the ground running by claiming victories against Myanmar and Palestine within the next week, ahead of facing Tajikistan, Lebanon and the hosts Qatar in their Asian Cup group in January.

Myanmar, meanwhile, will make the trip across the border having failed to win any of their last 15 matches in all competitions.

German-born Michael Feichtenbeiner has been chosen as the man to improve Chinthe's fortunes, with the former Stuttgarter Kickers and SV Darmstadt 98 boss simultaneously handed the reigns of the nation's U-22 team.

With Myanmar sitting in a lowly 160th position in FIFA's World Rankings, the 62-year-old clearly has a monumental job on his hands in terms of making his team competitive, certainly when it comes to facing some of the continent's bigger countries such as their forthcoming opponents.

However, having guided the country formerly known as Burma to a creditable 1-1 draw against Kyrgyzstan in one of his first games in charge back in March, his players will have more confidence that they can cause an upset in Dalian on Friday.

China friendly form:

D

L

Myanmar friendly form:

L

D

Myanmar form (all competitions):

L

L

D

L

L

D

Team News

China will have to compete without one of their key midfielders in the form of Wu Xi, who has earned 82 caps for the national team and captains Shanghai Shenhua.

However, they will have the services of Wu Lei, who has scored 27 goals in 81 caps for China and has already bagged 14 goals in 18 league games since returning to Shanghai Port last year.

Myanmar, meanwhile, will be hoping that Maung Maung Lwin can move into double figures on Friday, with the 27-year-old sitting on nine goals in 57 caps for his home nation.

The visitors will be lacking the experience of David Htan at the back, with the Yangon United defender's 73 caps sure to be a miss.

China possible starting lineup:

Yan; Zhang, Wang, Tyias, Liu; Xie, Wang, Xu, Wei; Elkeson, Wu

Myanmar possible starting lineup:

Phyo; Win, Thu, Lin, Soe; Oo, Aung; Khant, Thein, Lwin; Paing

We say: China 2-0 Myanmar

China will be motivated to return to winning ways after drawing one and losing one of their two friendlies against New Zealand in March, and we expect them to have too much for Myanmar on Friday.

The visitors are one of the weakest nations in the AFC, with their winless streak of 15 matches surely set to be extended in Dalian.

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