But no matter what, the Yokohama Mariners are not to be underestimated. For Shandong Luneng, this match will surely be an intense battle that is difficult to predict the winner, and Cui Kangxi will need to stay on high alert and give his best. There is no doubt that in order to prove himself and lead the Shandong Luneng team farther, Cui will surely do his best to send the strongest starting lineup for the match.
In the goalie position, Wang Dalei is naturally the main keeper in the Luneng goal; on the defensive line, Choi Kang-hee will still sacrifice his usual four-guard formation for safety's sake. Liu Yang, Jia Desong, Shi Ke and Dalian veteran Tong Lei are likely to get the starting four defenders. Of those, Jadzon and Shi Ke become a double center back combination; and Liu Yang and Tong Lei will be separated as wing backs. Among these men, Brazilian defender Jadson remains the team's lynchpin.
In the midfield, there is no doubt that the main back who is responsible for intercepting and stealing Luneng's midfield and backfield will still be Shenhua veteran Peng Xinli; and Peng's partner to form the double back combination should be Zheng Zheng, a highly decorated veteran, who played a cameo as a back kicker. Between the two backs, naturally, former Evergrande midfielder Li Yuanyi is still the front man, planning and managing the offense, dominating the team's attack; next to the two fast wing players will probably be the new foreigner Kazaishvili and the local talent Xie Wenneng. Naturalized player Fernando is on standby as a substitute wonderkid.
The leader of the front line, without a doubt, is still Kressan, who takes the lead for Shandong Luneng in the front field, and is the strongest striker tasked with destroying the enemy's city and capturing the enemy's fortress. To summarize, Shandong Luneng and Yokohama Mariners starting lineup is expected to be: Wang Dalei; Liu Yang, Jia Desong, Shi Ke and Tong Lei; Peng Xinli and Zheng Zheng; Li Yuanyi, Kazayishvili and Xie Wenneng; Cressan.
