Under the bright lights of the evening of July 29th, the 20th round of the Chinese Super League ushered in a key matchup as Shanghai Shenhua traveled to challenge the powerful Wuhan Sanzhen. Before the match, Shenhua's head coach Slutsky and in-form player Xie Pengfei attended a press conference to warm up for the upcoming match.
Slutsky began the conference by describing the team's preparations for the match, his words revealing full of confidence and determination: "This week, we have cherished this rare period of complete preparation for the match, and carried out meticulous analysis and tactical rehearsals for the characteristics of Wuhan Sanzhen. We are well aware that it will be a tough battle, but my players are ready for all the hardships, and each of them is eager to show their best on the field and bring a wonderful game to the fans."
Talking about the status of Luis and Zhu Chenjie, two important players, Slutsky said, "All the players who came to Wuhan with the team, whether it is Luis, Zhu Chenjie or any other player, they are ready to play at any time with the highest professionalism and full of enthusiasm. Their physical and mental states are at their best, and we will flexibly adjust our lineup according to the course of the game and tactical needs to ensure that every player can contribute to the team at the most suitable time."
Facing the team's role as the chasing team in the table, Slutsky was particularly calm and relaxed: "Indeed, our recent rounds of matches are always played after the harbor team, such a schedule is a challenge for the team, but also a kind of motivation. If we were facing this situation for the first time, we might feel a little bit of pressure, but now we have fully adapted to this rhythm. We understand that in order to make a difference in a competitive league, we must learn to grow under pressure and find opportunities in challenges."
Afterwards, player Xie Pengfei took over the microphone and expressed his anticipation for the game: "I am very excited to return to Wuhan to play again. This place is not only an important station in my career, but also left a lot of good memories. I'm going to do my best in tomorrow's game and work hard with my teammates to continue our recent momentum. I believe that as long as we are united and work hard, we will be able to provide an exciting and passionate game for both fans."
