Suzhou Dongwu vs Yunnan Yukun Prediction 21.06.2026 | China FA Cup

Suzhou Dongwu head into Sunday's knockout encounter desperately searching for a spark to revive their faltering campaign, having endured a difficult spell of form that has seen them emerge victorious in just one of their last five matches across all competitions.

Currently rooted to the foot of the league standings with a mere five points collected from their opening 11 second-tier fixtures, the Red-Blacks at least managed to steady the ship somewhat last weekend when they battled to a hard-fought 1-1 draw against fellow strugglers Shijiazhuang Gongfu, ending a run of disappointing defensive displays.

Returning to home soil offers little immediate comfort for Yu Yuanwei's men, who have suffered defeat in four of their previous five matches in front of their own supporters, while an alarming lack of attacking production has seen them find the back of the net just once during their ongoing three-game losing streak at home.

With no major injury concerns disrupting preparations, Yu is expected to field a near full-strength lineup for this contest, although minor adjustments in the defensive unit could be made as Suzhou Dongwu look to keep their Chinese FA Cup hopes alive and secure a place in the next round.

Yunnan Yukun, meanwhile, make the journey to Jiangsu Province in the midst of an impressive campaign in the Chinese top flight, carrying plenty of confidence from a season that has exceeded expectations and hoping to translate that domestic momentum into a productive cup run.

Last year, the men in orange enjoyed a memorable FA Cup journey, advancing comfortably to the semi-final stage before eventually suffering a humbling 7-0 defeat at the hands of Beijing Guoan, and they will now be eager to prove that their previous success in the competition was no coincidence by embarking on another deep run.

Despite occupying a highly respectable fourth place in the standings, just three points adrift of second-placed Chongqing Tonglianglong, the Yuxi-based outfit do not arrive for Sunday's cup contest in the strongest of spirits, having gone three matches without a victory across all competitions, recording two draws and one defeat during that stretch.

From a team news perspective, Spanish head coach Jordi Vinyals has the luxury of a fully fit squad at his disposal, leaving him with no injury concerns ahead of this encounter, and he is expected to field a strong lineup as Yunnan Yukun target a place in the next round of the competition.