On the night of August 13th, at the exact time of Beijing time, the first round of the AFC Champions League (AFC Champions League) 1/8 finals will kick off in a match that will tug at the heartstrings of countless Chinese fans. Shandong Luneng, the only team in the Chinese Super League to win the AFC Champions League, will meet the challenge of Japanese powerhouse Kawasaki Frontale at home.
Looking back at last season, Shandong Luneng failed to win the Chinese Super League title, but guarded the dignity of the Chinese Super League team, and became the only Chinese Super League team to qualify for the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League. Unfortunately, they missed out on the trophy. It is worth mentioning that although Shandong Luneng is a veteran of the AFC Champions League, they have never met Kawasaki Vanguard before. This is undoubtedly a brand new encounter for Shandong Luneng.
From the overall strength comparison, Shandong Luneng seems to be at a disadvantage, especially in the overall fighting force, compared with Kawasaki Striker, Luneng in the stability of the obvious gap. Therefore, this game for Shandong Luneng, will be a match full of gunpowder flavor. However, on the eve of the match in less than ten days, Shandong Luneng suffered a hammer blow - just transferred from the South Korean K-League Pohang Ironman's number one center forward Zeca, due to serious injuries, will not be able to play in the key AFC Champions League match. This is undoubtedly a fatal blow to Shandong Luneng.
It has been reported that Zeca has returned to Brazil for treatment after an unfortunate injury during winter training. Originally, I thought he was only slightly injured and would be able to return to the field soon. However, it now seems that this scenario is almost impossible to realize.
Zeca is highly expected by Shandong Luneng and is regarded as the successor of former Belgian superstar Fellaini. He not only has excellent physical fitness and shooting skills, but also has a strong dominance in front of the goal. According to statistics, during his last season with Pohang Ironmen, he contributed 17 goals and 10 assists to the team, showing great offensive efficiency in 44 games, even surpassing the retired Fellaini.
Therefore, the announcement of the powerful center forward's absence from the AFC Champions League due to injury at this critical moment will undoubtedly add insult to injury for Shandong Luneng. It's no exaggeration to say that Zeca's absence will definitely make it more difficult for Shandong Luneng to win this match. It seems that the prospect of Shandong Luneng to make it to the last eight of the AFC Champions League is worrying.
