As the third round of the 2023/24 AFC Champions League group stage resumed, the Chinese Super League's Shandong Taishan traveled to South Korea on the night of October 25th to start a sparkling match with K-League powerhouse Incheon United. After a fierce battle, Shandong Taishan won 2-0 on the road with excellent play and became the leader of the group table. Meanwhile, Zhejiang won 2-0 at home against JSC B side Kofu Kazebayashi, while Wuhan Sanzhen beat Hanoi 2-1 at home the day before. The three Chinese Super League (CSL) teams performed well in this round of AFC Champions League group matches, providing a visual feast for their fans.
Dating back to the first round of the AFC Champions League group stage in the 2017 season, that was the first time a Chinese Super League team achieved a clean sweep in a single round of matches. Shanghai SIPG beat Seoul FC 1-0 on the road, Jiangsu Suning beat Jeju United 1-0 on the road, and Guangzhou Evergrande swept the Oriental Dragons 7-0 at home. And now, Shandong Taishan responded to the challenge of South Korean giants Incheon United with an equally convincing victory away from home.
Despite Shandong Taishan's 3-0 away win over Changchun Yatai in the last round of Chinese Super League matches, the team paid a painful price for it with three foreigners injured. Fellaini suffered a broken nose, Kressan had six stitches in his tongue, and striker Pato suffered an elbow injury that prevented him from playing with the team. However, Shandong Taishan still showed a fearless fighting spirit when facing the strong opponent on the road. In the opening ten minutes, they took control of the game with superb footwork and smooth passing. The compact formation and ferocious forward pressing left a deep impression.
In the second half, Taishan team and the opponent launched a more intense offensive and defensive contest. In the 55th minute, Cressan and Liu Binbin came on as substitutes, while Xie Wenneng and Li Yuanyi left the field to rest. Choi Kang-hee's substitution decision was highly praised as he replaced a back with a striker. Just a minute later, Klassen broke the deadlock with a worldie. In the 87th minute, he sent another assist to Fellaini, who got away from the defense in the penalty area and scored the winning goal, sealing the 2-0 win for Taishan.
Although Taesan's possession was slightly less than 45%, the number of shots on goal surpassed their opponents' 11 with 15. 4 shots on goal were equal to their opponents, making the game a satisfying one in terms of both process and result. It was also the first time in the history of the AFC Champions League that Taishan defeated a Korean team on the road. With this victory, they topped the table on goal difference and their prospects for the line are bright.
Zhejiang's strength in numbers against Japanese Emperor's Cup champions Kofu Kazuhayashi saw them score a goal each in the first and second halves from Lucas and Mu Xiekui respectively. Goalkeeper Zhao Bo played valiantly, contributing six brilliant saves to ensure the goal was not lost. Zhejiang performed well in both offense and defense and won the game with a score of 2-0.
Against the backdrop of Wuhan Three Town's first AFC Champions League win, the Chinese Super League's top three are in hot form, injecting a shot in the arm for Chinese soccer. However, traditional Thai Premier League powerhouse Pathum United suffered their second consecutive loss, going down 2-4 at home to Kawasaki Frontale. Nevertheless, they managed to block their opponents' path to the main round of the AFC Champions League with a 3-2 away win over Shanghai Seaport in the AFC Champions League play-offs. For Shanghai Seaport, the embarrassing situation of three consecutive losses is undoubtedly a nightmare.
Despite a 15-point lead at the start of the season, Shanghai Seaport still maintains a five-point lead despite their recent poor record. However, to win the title in the Chinese Super League, such a result doesn't seem to be convincing enough. In the next round, Shanghai Seaport will face Shandong Taishan at home, and Taishan is expected to seize the opportunity to make a comeback, which is the common expectation of fans (except Seaport fans) all over the country.
