At 19:35 on August 30th, a much-anticipated quarter-final of the AFC Cup will take place. Shanghai Shenhua will face Chongqing Tongliang Dragons, a Chinese B team that is also not to be underestimated. The matchup, in which the winner advances and the loser is eliminated, is a crucial battle for the team's survival.
Up to now, Shanghai Shenhua have won 12, drawn 6 and lost 6 of their 24 CSL matches, accumulating 42 points and ranking third in the CSL table. However, given the 11-point gap between them and table-topping Shanghai Harbor, they seem to be hopeless in the battle for the Super League title. As a result, the team's focus this season has naturally shifted to the F.A.C. Cup. If they can win the AFC Cup, it will certainly be a successful season for Shenhua.
Shanghai Shenhua will face the challenge of Chongqing Tongliang Dragons in the upcoming quarterfinals of the AFC Cup. Despite the fact that the opponent is a China B team, its attacking strength in front of the field should not be underestimated. In addition to the rules of the game, Shenhua can not recruit foreign aid in this game, and must play with a full Chinese class, which undoubtedly increases the difficulty of their victory.
Shanghai Shenhua received two unfavorable news before the match. According to the latest reports from Five Star Sports, two of the team's key players, Cao Yunding and Liu Ruowan vanadium, are unable to travel with the team to Chongqing due to injuries and will be absent from this crucial FA Cup showdown. This is a heavy blow to Shanghai Shenhua.
Cao Yunding and Liu Ruowan vanadium are both strong substitutes for Shenhua. Both the experienced Cao Yunding and the talented Liu Ruowan vanadium have excellent attacking ability and decision-making ability at critical moments. Although they are not the main force of the season, once they come on as substitutes, they can often turn the game around. However, injuries have kept them out of this game, and the weakening of Shenhua's overall strength is obvious.
With a full Chinese squad in action, Shanghai Shenhua's advantage of challenging Chongqing Tongliang Dragons away from home was already limited. Now with two more powerful strikers out with injuries, a victory over the China B leaders to advance to the semi-finals of the AFC Cup seems to be even more out of reach for Shanghai Shenhua. The pressure on Coach Wu Jingui is obviously getting heavier.
