With only one day left, Shandong Taishan and Yokohama Mariners will face off. Yokohama Mariners are no strangers to Shandong Taishan, but in previous meetings between the two teams in the AFC Champions League, Shandong Taishan had the upper hand with a season double. Although Yokohama Mariners are currently regarded as the strongest team in the group, the difference is obvious compared to Shandong Taishan's current form. Before the match, Shandong Taishan had a training session to prepare for the match, but the absence of star player Zheng Zheng has revived the suspense. If Zheng Zheng is unable to play, Jia Desong and Shi Ke will form a new backline, and the risk of this combination is self-evident. Shandong Taishan will need to establish a quick advantage in the game, otherwise the pressure on the defense will be doubled against a solid Yokohama Mariners team.
Despite Shandong Taishan's strength in the Chinese Super League, where they have been strong contenders for the title every year, the Chinese Super League team has not been impressive on the AFC Champions League stage in comparison. Shandong Taishan is under tremendous pressure to face the Japanese J-League powerhouse. Currently, the team has obvious holes in the defense, and Shi Ke's performance is worrying. Zheng Zheng did not participate in the training, and Cui Kangxi was not satisfied with Shi Ke's performance and put him on the bench. How Shandong Taishan will cope with the situation is to be expected.
Facing Yokohama Mariners, Shandong Taishan cannot rely on defense alone if they want to win. The team must attack up front and take the pressure off the defense. Coach Choi Kang-hee's tactical setup - forward pressure and quick counterattacks - will be the key. Shandong Taishan, playing at home, will need to capitalize on the start and try to score early to stabilize the team.
Five foreigners will be on the field at the same time for this game. Fellaini and Cressan will continue to play the central role in the attack. Although Moises did not play in the last game, he will play the role of metronome in the midfield this time. Jadson will be a key player in the defensive line, while Pato's form is in doubt. Although he is not as good as Fellaini in the center position and is technically a bit inferior to Cressan, he has picked up his form recently and is expected to play a key role in the AFC Champions League.
Liu Yang has completed his Asian Games duties and returned to the team. Liu Binbin has also recovered from his injury, and the breakthrough ability of these two players will be the highlight of the game. Facing Yokohama Mariners, Shandong Taishan should make full use of their height advantage and play the role of headers such as Fellaini, Cressan and Jadson. The speed and passing quality of the wing players will also have a significant impact on the outcome of the match. We expect Shandong Taishan to achieve excellent results in the match.
