In the third round of the group stage of the 2023/24 AFC Champions League, an exciting showdown kicked off on the evening of October 25th in Beijing time. Shandong Taishan, the last runner-up of the Chinese Super League, faced Incheon United, the strongest team of the K-League in South Korea, on the road. After 90 minutes of intense competition, Shandong Taishan quickly rose to the top of the group standings with a 2-0 victory on the road. Meanwhile, Zhejiang beat JSL side Kofu Kazuhayashi at home by the same scoreline, while Wuhan Sanzhen beat Vietnam's Hanoi 2-1 in yesterday's home match, making all three Chinese Super League (CSL) teams perform well in the group stage of the AFC Champions League, much to the delight of their fans.
Going back to the first round of the AFC Champions League group stage of the 2017 season, it was the last time a Chinese Super League team achieved a clean sweep in a single round of matches. Shanghai SIPG edged Seoul FC 1-0 away from home, Jiangsu Suning beat Jeju United 1-0 away from home, and Guangzhou Evergrande swept aside Oriental Dragons by a huge 7-0 margin at home. Now, Shandong Taishan, one of the top three teams in the Chinese Super League, faced an away challenge from South Korean giants Incheon United and also collected a convincing victory. Although Shandong Taishan beat Changchun Yatai 3-0 on the road in the last round of Chinese Super League matches, it came at a terrible cost, with three foreigners injured in quick succession. Fellaini suffered a broken nose, Kressan had six stitches in his tongue, and striker Pato suffered an elbow injury and was unable to travel with the team. However, Shandong Taishan still showed a fearless fighting spirit when facing the strong enemy on the road. In the first ten minutes of the match, they took control of the game with their superb footwork and smooth passes. The compact formation and ferocious forward pressing also left a deep impression on the opponents. In the second half, Taishan started an even more intense offensive and defensive battle with their opponents. In the 55th minute, Cressan and Liu Binbin came on as substitutes, while Xie Wenneng and Li Yuanyi were the first to leave the field. Choi Kang-hee made a commendable substitution decision by removing a back and replacing him with a striker. Just a minute later, Klassen broke the deadlock with a worldie. In the 87th minute, he gave another assist to Fellaini, who broke away from the defense and scored inside the penalty area, sealing a 2-0 win for Taishan. Despite a possession rate of slightly less than 45%, Taishan had more shots on goal than their opponents, reaching 15, more than their opponents' 11. 4 shots on goal were equal to their opponents', making both the process and the result of this game satisfying. This is also the first time in the history of the AFC Champions League that Taishan team has won away from home against a Korean team, and with the goal difference advantage of the top of the table, the prospect of going out is bright. Facing Japanese Emperor's Cup champions Kofu Kazuhayashi, the Zhejiang team showed a strong power advantage. Lucas and Mu Xiekui each scored a goal in the first and second halves, while goalkeeper Zhao Bo contributed six heroic saves to keep the goal intact. The Zhejiang team performed well in both offense and defense, and deserved the 2-0 victory. Against the backdrop of Wuhan's first AFC Champions League win, the Chinese Super League's top three were in hot form, injecting a shot in the arm for Chinese soccer. However, Thai Super League powerhouse Pathom United suffered their third consecutive defeat, losing 2-4 at home to Kawasaki Frontale, scoring just five goals and conceding a whopping 11, making them an embarrassing presence in the AFC Champions League main round. Nonetheless, they managed to block their opponents' path to the play-offs with a 3-2 win away to Shanghai Seaport. For Shanghai Seaport, the embarrassing situation of three consecutive losses is undoubtedly the most embarrassing. At one point in this season's Chinese Super League, Shanghai Seaport had a 15-point lead, and despite their recent poor results, they still hold a 5-point lead. However, such a lead does not seem to be enough to convince people that they can win the championship. In the next round, Shanghai Seaport will face Shandong Taishan at home, and Taishan is expected to seize the opportunity to narrow the gap, and even realize a comeback to win the championship. This is not only the pursuit of Taishan, but also the expectation of the fans (except for Seaport fans).
