In the second round of the AFC Champions League group stage, Chinese Super League (CSL) powerhouse Taishan welcomed J-League powerhouse Yokohama Marinos. Taishan is in hot form after beating Philippine rivals Kaya FC 3-1 on the road in the last round, while Yokohama Mariners are currently at the top of the table, followed by Taishan, after losing 2-4 to K-League side Incheon United in the first round. Tarzan is back at home, and coach Choi Kang-hee is eager to take his team to the top of the group with consecutive victories, while Yokohama Mariners are also eager to get all three points.
The starting lineup for the match, Taishan adopted the classic 4231 tactical layout, with goalkeeper Wang Dalei guarding the goal, Jadason and Shi Ke partnering in the center back, Liu Yang and Wang Tong guarding the wings, Liao Lixiang and Li Yuan as the core of the center midfield, Moyses, Chen Pu and Cressan forming the attacking triangle, and Fellaini's single arrow charging forward. Yokohama Mariners also played in a 4231 formation, with goalkeeper Jun Ichimori solidifying the defense, Ken Matsubara, Tadao Kamijima, Ryotaro Kakuta and Sei Kato forming the backline, Kaiha Yoshio and Roku Yamane in the midfield, Hongtai Mizunuma, Tae-hee Minami and Elber forming the attacking line, and Asahi Uekichu as the striker.
The match started with a fierce battle in the midfield, with Taishan attacking more actively on both sides of the pitch, with Moises and Chan Pu getting back-to-back chances on goal, but Chan Pu was ruled to be offside. Yokohama Mariners, on the other hand, were looking for a breakthrough in the middle of the field. In the 29th minute, Elber made a clever pass inside the penalty area, and Mizunuma Hongtai quickly intervened to make a hole in Tarzan's defense, giving Yokohama Mariners a 1-0 lead and putting Tarzan in a passive position.
In the second half, Choi Kang-hee replaced Li Yuan-yi with Xie Wen to strengthen the offense in the midfield. Pato also replaced Chen Pu, and Taishan began to launch a new round of attack, using crosses and headers to seek scoring opportunities. Although Taishan had 10 shots on goal, they were unable to capitalize on the chances in front of the goal. In the end, Taishan lost by 1 goal at home, and Yokohama Mariners got their first win in this year's AFC Champions League. With three points each, the two sides are locked in a fierce battle for second place in the group. In the other group match, Incheon United defeated Kaya FC 2-0 to lead the Group G standings with two consecutive wins.
