In the third round of the 2023 AFC Champions League group stage, Zhejiang, the third-place finisher of the previous season's Chinese Super League (CSL), is the first team to face Fenglin from the J2 League. The team won the cup last season by knocking out Sanfrecce Hiroshima. In this season's J2 League, Fenglin ranked seventh with 58 points from 16 wins, 10 draws and 13 losses, and their overall strength is in the middle of the pack. Although there were no high hopes for the second-tier team before the match, the development was unexpected.
Zhejiang initially dominated but lost two consecutive matches in the actual confrontation against Buriram United and Melbourne, conceding a total of 6 goals, with their defense in dire straits, and are currently in last place in the group with 0 points. By the third round, Zhejiang returned home to face the table-leading Jaffrin team. Only a win will give them a chance to keep their hopes alive; a loss will make the prospect of advancing to the next round a worrying one. This is the first time in the history of the two teams to face each other, and the battle will be intense. Zhejiang will need to focus on solving their offensive problems, especially against U-Taka, who has been playing in the Chinese Super League for a long time and knows the style of the Chinese Super League teams.
In the starting lineups of both sides, Zhejiang followed the traditional 442 formation, with goalkeeper Zhao Bo, Sun Zheng Ao, Yue Xin, Dong Yu, and Lucas forming the backline, and Frank leading Li Tixiang, Cheng Jin, and Zhang Jiaqi partnering in the midfield, with Evra and Mu Xiekui playing as the double strikers; while Fenglin used the 343 attacking formation, with Ward, Renkawa Growing, Sekiguchi Dai, and Kamiya Keshi forming the center back triangle, and Kobayashi Iwai, Hayashida Wei, Iwaki Kobayashi, Aido Hayashida, Yoshiki Torikai in midfield, and Uttaka, Shimaru and Gertullio in attack.
At the start of the match, Zhejiang kept pressure on Fenglin by virtue of their home ground, with a possession rate of 55%. Wind Forest, on the other hand, utilized counter-attacks to create threats. In the 9th minute, Li Tixiang gave an assist to Lucas, who grabbed a header to score a fantastic opening goal for Zhejiang.
After falling behind, Fenglin quickly launched a counter-attack, creating a dangerous situation in front of the opponent's goal. Uttaka had a good opportunity, but Zhao Bo stepped up to defuse the crisis and ensure Zhejiang's one-goal lead at half-time. In the second half, Zhejiang continued to attack, and in the 57th minute, Frank delivered an assist to Mu Xiekui after consecutive breakthroughs to extend the lead to two goals. Despite Wind Forest's all-out fightback, there were few chances and Zhejiang's defense was solid, eventually beating the leaders by two goals and earning their first win in the AFC Champions League group stage.
