At the end of November, Shandong Taishan will face Kaya in the fifth round of the AFC Champions League group stage. Qilu Evening News blasted that Taishan team must win this campaign.
On the night of the 25th, the Taishan team assembled urgently and rushed back to Jinan to make final preparations for the AFC Champions League. Moises, Jadson and Fernando are in good form and are expected to be a big help to Taishan in the AFC Cup final. Facing Kaya, Taishan may make personnel changes to give young players a stage to show themselves. Fellaini, another variable of the Taishan team, did not return to Jinan with the team after the 25th game, and will probably take a break in this matchup.
For Taishan, this win is crucial. With three points, Taishan will have a great chance to lock up a place in the final round even if Yokohama Mariners fail to win. Currently, Yokohama Mariners and Shandong Taishan are in first and second place respectively in the group with nine points. According to the rules, of the five groups in the East Asia Region, the first group and the third group with the best results will advance to the knockout stage. Taishan has become the second group with the highest number of points, and the initiative to qualify is firmly in hand. Once they beat Kaya, the points will rise to 12, and the chances of the Chinese Super League players advancing will be greatly increased. The sooner the path to promotion is clear, the more favorable it will be for Taishan.
It is worth mentioning that the Taishan team might hold a farewell ceremony for Moises before the game to show their gratitude to the decorated foreigner.
