On the night of May 10th, the Suzhou Sports Center witnessed yet another struggle by Wuhan, who, despite their best efforts, were unable to break the deadlock in the 4th round of the Chinese Super League, losing 0-2 to Beijing Guoan. With one more game to go, Wuhan is now 14th in the league, just one point ahead of Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, who are second from bottom. After the match, head coach Li Xiaopeng was blunt: "It's natural to be under a lot of pressure after four consecutive games without a win, but I'm confident that the team will bounce back after overcoming the difficulties." He also believes that the match against Guoan was the best one Wuhan has played so far.
Facing Beijing Guoan, Wuhan remained cautious in their tactical layout, sticking to the defensive counterattack. Li Xiaopeng made significant changes to the starting lineup: Mbia and Carrizo played as double center backs, while Ye Chongqiu and Tian Yinong partnered at the back, with the intention of blocking Guoan's attack in the middle of the field. Li Xing was elevated to the front position to provide support for Evra, while the side rely on the speed of Huang Zichang and Fang Hao. From the lineup, Li Xiaopeng obviously came prepared, hoping to create problems for Guoan through high-intensity defense and fast counterattacks.
However, the tactical adjustments did not bring the expected results. Only three minutes into the game, Mbia tripped Zhang Yuning in the penalty area due to a lack of concentration, giving away a penalty kick. Although Wuhan then launched a counterattack, Evra's shot hit the post and bounced out, but Guoan still seized the opportunity. Bilic also said after the match, "After taking the lead in the opening half, the players seemed to be unable to kick instead, giving Wuhan more chances to attack."
In the second half, Wuhan replaced Fang Hao with Li Xingqi in an attempt to change their attacking strategy. However, only one minute into the second half, Bakambu broke through again, extending the score to 2-0. Facing the situation of two consecutive halves that started with a goal conceded, Li Xiaopeng said helplessly, "The players' attention is still not focused enough."
Nevertheless, the Wuhan team under Li Xiaopeng's rule has been mediocre in other matches, except for the first match against Hebei and Shanghai Shenhua, the other matches did not bring much surprise to the fans. Many fans have questioned the team's strategy: why only use Li Xingqi and Fang Hao; why not play Ajin in front of the field; why not put Li Xing in a more threatening position at the back?
Fans are overflowing with concern for the Wuhan team and are looking forward to the team's first win of the season. However, the team is currently facing a lot of difficulties, Li Chao, Yang Boyu, Liu Yun and other players due to injury can not play, Baptiste Tang and Raphael can not return for the time being, so Li Xiaopeng in the deployment of elasticity. Talking about the pressure of four rounds without a win, Li Xiaopeng firmly believe that as long as you survive this difficult period, the team will be better in the future.
In a difficult situation, Li Xiaopeng may be able to try new ideas. Whether it's Li Xingqi or Fang Hao, opponents will be targeting this way of attack, why not try other U23 players? In addition, Wang Kai and other players in the midfield also has a certain strength. 2019 season early, when the team does not have a center forward available, Guo Tianyu is in the parties pushed into the starting lineup, and achieved remarkable results. Now, Li Xiaopeng may wish to try more, perhaps there will be unexpected gains.
Next, Wuhan will face Jinmen Tigers on May 17th. Currently, the Jinmen Tigers are regarded as the weakest of the 16 teams in the Chinese Super League, and this matchup may be Wuhan's best hope for their first win of the season so far.
