As the group stage of the 2023 AFC Champions League gets underway, former Chinese Super League (CSL) rivals Zhejiang are the first to face Japan's J2 League rivals Fenglin in the third round of the group stage. The team defeated Sanfrecce Hiroshima to win the cup last season. Despite being ranked seventh in the J2 League this season with 58 points, they were generally not favored as a second-tier team before the tournament. However, this is far from the truth.
Zhejiang initially showed strength, but lost two consecutive games in the actual matchups against Buriram United and Melbourne, and the defense was in a state of emergency, conceding 6 goals in a row, and are now at the bottom of the group with 0 points. In the third round, Zhejiang returned home to face group leader Javelin. The only way to keep their hopes of promotion alive is to win, otherwise the road to promotion will get tougher and tougher. As the two teams meet for the first time in their history, the game is extremely tight, and Zhejiang needs to solve their offensive problems, especially against U-Taka, who has been playing in the Chinese Super League (CSL) for a long time and knows the tactical characteristics of the CSL teams very well.
The starting lineup, Zhejiang team adhere to the traditional 442 formation, Zhao Bo defends the goal, Sun Zheng Ao, Yue Xin, Dong Yu, Lucas form the defense, Frank commanded Li Tixiang, Cheng Jin, Zhang Jiaqi synergistic midfielder, Evra and Mu Xiekui partnering the front line; Fenglin, on the other hand, take 343 attacking formation, Ward, Lian Kawasaki grows, Sekiguchi Dai, Kamiya Kaiji composed of the backline, Kobayashi Iwai, Hayashida Wei, Pinta Aidou, Iwai Kobayashi, Wei Hayashida, Aidoo Shinoda, Yoshiki Torumi support the midfield, and Uttaka, Shimaru, and Gertullio attack the front.
As the game kicked off, Zhejiang, with the advantage of their home field, continued to put pressure on Fenglin, with 55% of the ball in their possession. Wind Forest, on the other hand, utilized counter-attacks to create threats. In the 9th minute, Li Tixiang assisted and Lucas grabbed a header to give Zhejiang a dream start. Trailing, Fenglin quickly counterattacked and Uttaka had a chance, but Zhao Bo bravely blocked it to preserve the lead. Zhejiang continued to attack, and in the 57th minute, Frank made consecutive breakthroughs and managed to add another goal for Mu Xiekui. Despite Wind Forest's all-out counterattack, chances were few and far between, and Zhejiang's defense was solid enough to give leader Javelin their first defeat and their first win in the AFC Champions League group stage with a two-goal advantage.
