In 2016, Shanghai Seaport made their first appearance in the AFC Champions League, signing two stars in Eickson and Hulk, only to go out in the last eight of the AFC Champions League with a 0:5 aggregate loss to Jeonbuk Hyundai.
The following year, Shanghai Seaport knocked out Guangzhou Evergrande on penalties in the last eight of the AFC Champions League, but lost to Urawa Red Diamonds 1-2 on aggregate in the semifinals, ending up in the quarterfinals. The team introduced Oscar, which was Shanghai Seaport's best performance in the AFC Champions League.
In the 2018 season, Shanghai Seaport failed to qualify for the AFC Champions League Round of 16 after losing 3:4 on aggregate to Kashima Antlers.
In 2019, Shanghai Seaport met Urawa Red Diamonds again in the last eight of the AFC Champions League, drawing 3:3 on aggregate over the two rounds, and were eliminated due to an away goal disadvantage.
In the 2021 season, Shanghai Seaport suffered a 0:1 home defeat against Philippine side Kaya in the AFC Champions League playoffs, and played with a full bench that unfortunately did not qualify for the tournament.
In the 2022-23 season, Shanghai Seaport opted to forfeit the tournament and finished at the bottom of the group with 0 points.
In the 2023-24 season, Shanghai Seaport lost 0:3 at home to Thai Premier League side Pathum United, again missing out on the AFC Champions League.
This season, Shanghai Seaport has performed well in the league and the AFC Cup, making them the favorites to win the title. So can they make a difference in the AFC Champions League?
In the upcoming match, Shanghai Harbour will take on Johor Bahru in the first round of the East Asian Division of the AFC Elite League.
Competition time: September 18, 20:00
In the 2024-25 AFC Elite League, Shanghai Seaport will face Johor Bahru (home), Pohang Ironmen (away), Central Coast Mariners (home), Kawasaki Frontale (away), Ulsan Hyundai (away), Gwangju FC (home), Kobe Victory Ship (away), and Yokohama Mariners (home) in that order.
In these eight matches, they will face three Japanese teams, three Korean teams, an Australian super team and a Malaysian team. The opponents are not bad, especially the teams from Japan.
Johor Bahru is the absolute dominant force in the Malaysian Premier League, winning the title nine times in a row over the past decade, and is expected to continue its domination of the league this season with a 25-point lead over second-placed Selangor, with one less round to play.
Johor Bahru, worth a total of 12.05 million euros, have a team full of foreigners and top scorer Bergeson, a 33-year-old Brazilian striker from Brazilian giants Gremio.
The two sides have no previous record of meeting, despite the superiority of Shanghai Seaport's lineup, but the home game, the fight for a small victory to get the opening red still need to be cautious to deal with.
