As night falls in the Beijing time zone on March 6, the first leg of the AFC Champions League Quarter-Finals will kick off in a highly anticipated match for Chinese fans. Shandong Luneng Taishan will meet the challenge of Japan's Yokohama Marinos at their home stadium.
The AFC Champions League knockout round has entered a white-hot stage, where every match is like a matter of life and death. For a powerhouse like Yokohama Marinos, it's especially crucial to get a head start at home. After all, if they lose at home, Shandong Luneng's hopes of winning on the road in Japan will be very slim.
Yokohama Mariners and Shandong Luneng have been playing each other frequently, and the two teams have won and lost their AFC Champions League matches, making it difficult to distinguish between them. However, Luneng has suffered a number of defeats against Yokohama Mariners recently, and will have to be on their guard in the upcoming quarterfinals.
It is worth mentioning that Shandong Luneng has been in hot form recently, with two consecutive wins in the AFC Champions League and Chinese Super League, especially the 4-2 win over Kawasaki Frontale in the AFC Champions League and the 4-1 win over Changchun Yatai in the first match of the Chinese Super League, both of which have been a great boost to the team's morale. Foreigners Kressan, Kazaishvili and Jadson were in excellent form, and even Pato, who had been criticized as a waterboy, miraculously returned to his best form. Coach Choi Kang-hee is "full of confidence" when it comes to this crucial matchup.
However, the key player for Shandong Luneng to beat Yokohama Marinos in this matchup is not the four foreigners mentioned above, but rather a local midfielder who has been making a name for himself - Li Yuanyi. Although he didn't attract much attention during his time at Evergrande, Li Yuan's technical and tactical skills are improving as he gets older. He is not only good at interceptions and steals, but also has excellent ball control and is unrivaled in breaking through with the ball. After the departure of Moises, Coach Choi Kang-hee developed Li Yuan-yi into the new center of Luneng's midfield. In the first two consecutive wins, Li Yuanyi's organizational ability and creativity in the midfield were widely recognized.
According to the data, Li Yuanyi in the first seven games of the AFC Champions League for a goal and an assist, its offensive efficiency is not inferior to foreign aid. Because of his outstanding performance in the AFC Champions League, Li Yuanyi has even been praised by the official blog of the Asian Cup and has been strongly recommended to enter the Chinese national team. Therefore, Li Yuanyi will have a heavy responsibility in this crucial matchup. Only if he plays steadily, Shandong Luneng's midfield control and attacking efficiency can be guaranteed.
All in all, the key to victory in the match between Shandong Luneng and Yokohama Marinos may not lie in the four foreigners, but in the local midfielder with unlimited potential. Let's look forward to the final result of this exciting matchup.
