Liao Lixiang, who has been quiet on the bench for a long time, finally showed up in the game with his brother-like precise passes. His two clever assists helped the team win 3:1. Since joining Shandong Taishan, Liao and Bi Jinhao have been burdened with doubts and controversies as they seem to have failed to live up to expectations. However, this was the game where they helped the team win their first AFC Champions League match of the season with their outstanding performance. It seems that the regret of Shandong Taishan's last year's finish in the last eight is expected to be rewritten this year.
Shanghai Shenhua seemed to get off to a bad start, failing to break the deadlock in the first half against Pohang Ironmen, who have been in poor form lately. Pohang Ironmen have lost their last six league matches and have not won in over two months. Surprisingly, not only did Shenhua fail to score in the first half, but Pohang Ironmen scored the first goal in the second half. However, this goal unexpectedly activated Shanghai Shenhua.
Slusky West Banshee made decisive adjustments, Shenhua adopted a more aggressive strategy and reaped remarkable results. Facing the loose defense of Pohang Ironmen, Shenhua scored four goals in 40 minutes, averaging one goal every 10 minutes. The final result was a 4:1 win over the Korean rivals Pohang Ironmen. Expect Shanghai Harbor to show excellence in future matches as well.
