On October 3, 2020, at 00:00 GMT, Shandong Taishan, the Chinese Super League giants, will start the second round of the AFC Champions League Group G match against Yokohama Marinos of Japan's J-League at the Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium. As early as the evening of September 26, Shandong Taishan Football Club released the ticket information for the match.
In the day's first match of the semifinals of the Chinese Football Association Cup, Shandong Taishan defeated Dalian Ren 2-0 on the road, successfully advancing to the finals thanks to goals from foreigners Pato and Fellaini. The club then quickly released ticket information for the AFC Champions League match against Yokohama Mariners, showing the importance attached to the showdown.
For the first home game of the new AFC Champions League season, Shandong Taishan tickets are the same as those for the Chinese Super League, divided into four tiers: 150 yuan, 200 yuan, 300 yuan and 500 yuan. Compared with the price of tickets for Wuhan Sanzhen, the defending Chinese Super League champions (100 yuan, 120 yuan, 180 yuan, 400 yuan), the price of tickets for Shandong Taishan's AFC Champions League debut is undoubtedly more attractive. This season, this ticket price is only available for this match and Shandong Taishan's home matches against Beijing Guoan and Qingdao Hainiu. This will be the second game in the Chinese Super League with an A-rated ticket price.
In the first round of the AFC Champions League group stage, Shandong Taishan got off to a good start with a 3-1 away win over Kaya Philippines, and despite scoring slightly fewer goals, they are still second in the Group G table. Hosting Yokohama Mariners in this round, Shandong Taishan is aiming for a second consecutive win.
Recently, Shandong Taishan has been fighting on three fronts, keeping undefeated for 8 consecutive games, and is in good shape. Especially the FA Cup champion "professional" Shandong Taishan, the sixth consecutive time to enter the FA Cup final, the morale of a great boost. On the other hand, Yokohama Mariners, after losing 2-4 at home to South Korea's K-League powerhouse Incheon United in the first round of the AFC Champions League, beat Kashima Antlers 2-1 on the road in the league match to get back on the winning track. Before traveling to Jinan to challenge Shandong Taishan, Yokohama Mariners have one more league match to play against Kobe Victory.
In terms of league results, both Shandong Taishan and Wuhan Sanzhen, and Yokohama Marinos and Kobe Victory, were ranked second in their respective league standings prior to this clash. This means that the second in the Chinese Super League will be in dialog with the second in the J-League, a battle that is not destined to be an ordinary one.
However, both sides are facing intensive fixtures with huge physical exertion, which puts the deployment and on-site commanding ability of the coaches of both teams to a severe test. It is worth mentioning that Shandong Taishan's foreign aid Jadson dyed red in the semi-final of the F.A.C.A. Cup, which led to other players running more, increasing physical exertion and disrupting tactical arrangements. The match against Wuhan Sanzhen is also a fierce battle, depending on how the team adjusts and chooses.
One of the highlights of the match was the Yokohama Mariners' Brazilian goal scorer Anderson Lopes, who played for Wuhan in the Chinese Super League in the 2021 season. He is now the top scorer for the Yokohama Mariners and has scored 19 goals for the team this season. His performance is worth keeping an eye on in this matchup, and Shandong Taishan will need to focus on him as well.
Will Shandong Taishan be able to win their first AFC Champions League match of the season at home in back-to-back games? Let's wait and see.
