Raise your head to accept the fans' applause! Shenhua secures their first AFC Champions League win, defending the pride of the Chinese Super League.

Special Contributor/Gan Hui Thanks to goals from foreign players Asue and André Luis, Shenhua, playing at home, defeated South Korea's FC Seoul to claim their first victory in this season’s AFC Champions League Elite Tournament. Among the three Chinese Super League teams participating this season, Shenhua was the only one to field their main squad fully this round and the sole team to win. After three rounds, Shenhua has 4 points with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, ranking 5th.

On the 21st, Chengdu Rongcheng and Shanghai Port, who also competed in the AFC Champions League, rotated their starting lineups. Currently, the Chinese Super League has entered its most critical phase, with only three rounds remaining. The maximum point difference among Shanghai Port, Chengdu Rongcheng, and Shenhua is three points, so theoretically, all still have a chance to win the championship.

Moreover, the time gap between this round of the AFC Champions League Elite Tournament and the weekend’s Chinese Super League matches is quite short, with Shenhua having only three days of rest.

Despite this, Shenhua did not hold back in this AFC Champions League round due to league commitments. Head coach Slutsky deployed the main squad. Except for Chen JinYi, who was heavily fatigued from the October international fixtures, all other key players started the match.

Having finished the regular season of the Korean K League, FC Seoul has now devoted more focus to this season’s AFC Champions League Elite Tournament. In this match, key players like Lingard started, with five foreign players included in the starting lineup.

Clearly, both Shenhua and Seoul placed great importance on this game, each eager to claim victory. Ultimately, Shenhua seized the opportunity, winning the match and upholding the honor of the Chinese Super League. Slutsky summarized, “The match was very challenging and tightly contested. Both sides were evenly matched. I’m very happy with the win. We converted our chances well, and this victory brings us great joy.”

Recently, Shenhua’s attacking line has been tight due to injuries.

In this match, Asue and Liu Chengyu started, while André and Mineiro were on the bench. André, who underwent minimally invasive lumbar disc surgery, returned from injury last weekend against Qingdao West Coast. Mineiro, who had been out for four months, also made his comeback in this game against Seoul.

With injured players gradually recovering, Shenhua, who had been underperforming recently, finally regained some form. Facing a full-strength Seoul squad, Shenhua won 2-0. Not only was the result positive, but the overall performance was also commendable.

Both goals in this match came from forward players. The two starting strikers played the first half. At halftime, Liu Chengyu performed well, actively running and pressing in the midfield and front, causing significant trouble for Seoul’s defense. As for Asue, besides scoring the opening goal with a header in the 57th minute, he showed much more energetic running and pressing during his 69 minutes on the pitch, with improved stamina.

After a four-month injury break, Mineiro’s return showcased strong physical confrontation and impact, exactly what Slutsky’s tactics require. After the match, Mineiro said, “I’m very happy because I went through four months of injury and couldn’t play normally. But now I’m back on the field. I also helped the team secure this victory through hard work. Moreover, this was our first win in this year’s AFC Champions League, which makes me very pleased.”

Regarding André, he is still some way from his best form, but the decisive goal he scored last night might help him regain confidence. “I haven’t returned to my peak condition yet. Whether I can play more depends on the medical team’s decision and the coach’s arrangements. As long as I’m on the field, I’m ready to give my best in every match.”

After the match, when asked about the revival of the foreign forwards’ form, Slutsky said, “Currently, Chinese players or foreign players can score. As a coach, I use whoever is in good form. It doesn’t matter if they are Chinese or foreign. For example, today Liu Chengyu started and played the first half, while André and Mineiro waited on the bench. Later, we made tactical changes and brought them on. The important thing is the victory; who scores is not my main concern. I play whoever is performing well.”

After this AFC Champions League Elite Tournament match, Shenhua will immediately face the 28th round of the Chinese Super League at home against Dalian Yifang.

Jiang Shenglong, who received a yellow card in the last match, will be suspended this weekend due to accumulating four yellow cards. However, in this AFC Champions League match, Slutsky did not field backup center-backs Jin Shunkai or Eddie, who have had limited recent appearances, to help them regain form through playing time. Additionally, the team’s core, Teixeira, was heavily taxed during the AFC match and was exhausted by the end. Whether he can recover in time to perform well against Dalian Yifang remains uncertain.

Nevertheless, this first AFC Champions League win will undoubtedly boost the entire team’s morale. The so-called “pros and cons” of competing on two fronts are hard to predict. At least on the night of October 22, Shenhua can proudly raise their heads and accept the fans’ applause.