The end of the first round of the AFC Champions League group stage, the Chinese Super League BIG3 Shandong Taishan, Zhejiang, Wuhan complex mood, 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, interpretation of the AFC Champions League tragicomedy. From the process of the game, the details are still very important.
As the defending Chinese Super League champions, Wuhan Sanzhen boasts quality foreign supporters and a host of local internationals. 27,599 fans flocked to the Wuhan Sports Center to watch the match, which was the highest attendance of the AFC Champions League group stage. In the warm home atmosphere, the Sanzhen players were also full of passion. Zhang Xiaobin scored the first AFC Champions League goal in Wuhan Three Town's history with a low shot from the penalty area line in the opening 10 minutes.
Sanjin still had many excellent chances to score in the first half but failed to capitalize on them. The experienced Urawa Red Diamonds equalized in the 55th minute of the second half when a header from Linsen put both sides back on the same page. Davidson then created a point and hit it himself to help the three Wuhan towns go over the top again. However, in the face of a massive Urawa Red Diamonds attack, Three Town declared a goal loss in the fourth minute of injury time despite a serious drop in fitness, with a world goal from Chinese Super League veteran Jose Canter eventually making it 2-2.
Tri-Town was said to have played well in this game, scoring 2 goals on 3 out of 9 shots and taking an impressive lead twice. However, against the J-League giants, who have mature tactical systems and strong overall fighting ability, there was still a clear gap between Sanjin players in terms of game experience and physical distribution. Even so, the 2-2 scoreline was an acceptable result for both sides.
Zhejiang's fate was a bit miserable compared to Sanzhen. In the battle with Thai Premier League giants Buriram United, Zhejiang had the upper hand in terms of ball possession and number of shots, but were beaten by their opponents one by one. Buriram United 14 shots, 9 shots on goal, scored 4 goals, while Zhejiang team only in the first half by Lennardo penalty kick to save some face. In the second half, Zhejiang, who had slowed down, created many threatening attacks but failed to capitalize on the opportunities, and eventually returned with a 1-4 defeat.
Zhejiang has a history of playing in the AFC Champions League, but it was a negligible 2011 season. in the 2015 season, Zhejiang was relegated to China's first division and did not return to the Chinese Super League until 2021. In other words, Zhejiang is not only new to the AFC Champions League, but also to the Chinese Super League. Facing Buriram United, which has been in the AFC Champions League for years, a crushing defeat is not surprising.
Wuhan and Zhejiang failed to win, but Shandong Taishan managed to get three points. In the dim light, the quality of artificial turf is not even as good as the domestic high school stadium in Manila, this trip brought only 18 players, the local mainstay at home to watch TV Shandong Taishan still easy, although the defender Zhao Jianfei and goalkeeper Han Rongze joint error lost the ball a bit of a laugh, but the score of 3-1 is still very satisfied with the Taishan fans. It is worth mentioning that the game only 1728 fans, nearly 1,000 local Chinese cheering for Taishan team, Taishan team enjoyed the home treatment.
As the team with the most AFC Champions League matches in the Chinese Super League, Shandong Taishan's overall record is also commendable, although they have also lost many times, a legacy that has ensured that Taishan have been able to maintain a stable mentality in the AFC Champions League. So even if it's not the strongest team, you can still easily win against them. Perhaps the hopes of the Chinese Super League teams to do well in the AFC Champions League this season, but they will have to rely on Taishan as well.
