The much-anticipated match between Beijing and Lu came to an end in the last eight of the FA Cup. Shandong Taishan, the eight-time champions and reigning kings, defeated Beijing Guoan 6-5 on aggregate after a thrilling match to advance to the semifinals. Although Beijing Guoan drew 1-1 with Taishan in regulation time and failed to reverse the situation in overtime, they ended up losing 4-5 on penalties.
The event attracted around 50,000 live spectators and the atmosphere in the arena was electric. According to statistics, the number of spectators in attendance was as high as 50,569. Facing a strong opponent, Coach Choi Kang-hee guided his team step by step towards victory with his calm tactical arrangement and the positive attitude of his players, successfully overcoming the absence of players such as Jadson and Liu Binbin.
At the start of the match, Taishan quickly got into the game and took the lead in the 10th minute. Zheng Zheng's free kick hit the near post, then Li Yuanyi added a goal to give Shandong Taishan a 1-0 lead. In the 18th minute, Beijing Guoan's Jiang Xiangyou equalized the score to 1-1 with Zhang Xizhe's accurate long pass.
The score was tight and the game entered the white-hot stage. Referee Manning's call sparked controversy between the two sides, with players from both teams expressing their dissatisfaction with the referee. Nevertheless, Taishan came close to taking the lead again in regulation time. After Moises' shot was blown offside and Li Yuanyi's penalty kick was parried by Housen, the game went to a penalty shootout after both teams failed to make any progress in the extra time.
In the penalty shootout, Shandong Taishan hit all 5 penalties, with Kressan, Moises, Pato, Fernando, and Fellaini hitting in turn; while Beijing Guoan hit all 4 penalties, with Ngaardew, Zhang Chendong, Wang Ziming, and Gao Tianyi hitting successively. For the fifth penalty, Kang Xiangyu failed to resist the pressure and kicked the ball away. Finally, Taishan won 5-4 and eliminated their opponents 6-6 on aggregate.
This campaign, Shandong Taishan team created three good stories. The first is the end of Beijing Guoan's seven consecutive wins and three draws; the second is from the beginning of the season's first game of the FA Cup victory over Dongguan, all the way through the road to defend the road three consecutive victories, towards the ninth title, while one step closer to the fourth consecutive title; the third is the first time that Shandong soccer and Qingdao Hainui at the same time to advance into the quarterfinals of the AFC Cup.
However, the victory was not a peaceful one. After the game, the discontent of Beijing fans and journalists was revealed. Cui Kangxi encountered unreasonable questions from two reporters at the press conference, which triggered a heated argument and the conference broke up unhappily. Taishan fans were verbally abused by Beijing fans on the subway, a scene that was uploaded to the internet and sparked widespread discussion.
