Points Turn Positive + Ranking Overtake! Shanghai Derby, Shenhua "Outlasts" Harbor

Special Contribution / Gan Hui On the evening of April 11th, Shanghai Stadium, filled with 60,141 spectators, was not only a sea of blue but also a sea of joy. The first Shanghai Derby of the 2026 season, the 9th showdown between Slutsky and Muscat, ended with victory for Shenhua and Slutsky, with Latang scoring the only goal. Shenhua, unbeaten for 5 rounds, turned their points positive and also overtook their city rivals in the standings, while the defending champion Shanghai Harbor not only suffered their third league defeat but also had four players injured in this high-intensity derby.

In the previous two matches, Teixeira was absent due to injury, and Latang replaced him in the No. 10 position. Although Latang also worked hard, this was not his preferred role. Shenhua's midfield control and offensive organization were somewhat affected. Looking back at the history of Shenhua vs. Harbor clashes over the past two seasons, in 8 matches Shenhua had 4 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, and the two losses were precisely when Teixeira did not start.

After active treatment and recovery, Teixeira finally appeared in the starting lineup for this derby battle. His presence "liberated" Latang and also revitalized the midfield. In the match, Teixeira also contributed 6 key passes, the highest in the game.

In the previous match against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, after Xie Pengfei and other players came on, Latang, returning to the forward line, scored twice, helping the team reverse and clinch a last-minute victory. In last night's match, Latang received a cross from Manafa and headed the ball into the net, breaking past Yan Junling's defense, helping the team secure victory in this crucial match. This goal was also Latang's 5th goal of the season.

Looking at the match statistics, Shenhua had 16 shots, 7 on target, both higher than Harbor's 9 shots and 2 on target. Although Shenhua ultimately won by a single goal, they actually had several other threatening attacks; unfortunately, Latang couldn't capitalize. In contrast, Harbor's attacks that truly tested Shenhua's defense were few.

After the match, Slutsky commented, "I did not anticipate the opponent unusually adjusting their overall formation. This match we played very proactively, using high-pressure pressing as much as possible to restrict the opponent. All players were very active on the field, I am very satisfied, and I believe we deserved the victory."

When asked "only scoring one goal, do you feel regret?" Slutsky said: "The result of 1-0 is acceptable to me. If we can win 1-0 every time hereafter, that's fine."

After experiencing four consecutive matches with conceded goals, Shenhua finally achieved a clean sheet. Slutsky said, "The opponent did not create effective attacks or good scoring opportunities, while we created many. Restricting the opponent well is what I value more."

From the very start of last night's match, Shenhua applied high-pressure pressing from the midfield and forward lines, putting considerable pressure on Harbor. Under Shenhua's pressing, Harbor's midfield and defense made multiple passing errors, were intercepted by Shenhua, and immediately switched from defense to attack. This high-pressure pressing made the match pace relatively fast and intensity high.

Within the short 12 minutes from the 57th to the 69th minute of the match, Harbor's Gabriel, Lu Yongtao, and Jean-Claude were injured and substituted successively. There were accidental factors, but it also had some relation to the high match intensity and players' stamina being pushed to the limit. Because when stamina issues arise, the risk of player injury significantly increases.

After three players were injured and substituted, Yang Shiyuan could not continue due to injury. However, Shenhua launched a counterattack; Yang Shiyuan stretched his leg attempting to stop Latang's dribbling advance, his leg contacted Latang's leg, and he immediately fell on the turf. Harbor had already used all substitution slots; if a player could not continue, they would have to face Shenhua's 11 with 10 players.

After Harbor's medical staff entered the field, Yang Shiyuan covered his head, and Harbor applied for a concussion substitution.

Concussion substitution is a special rule established to protect player health, allowing a team to use an additional substitution slot when a player on the field shows or is suspected of having a concussion. This rule was formulated by the International Football Association Board and officially incorporated into the "Football Competition Rules" from July 1, 2024. But from the video, Yang Shiyuan did not hit his head during the defensive action against Latang; why would it cause a concussion? This became a focal point of post-match discussion.

After winning this "Shanghai Derby," Shenhua secured 11 points in the first 5 league rounds; starting with -10 points, their points finally turned positive, and they also overtook their city rivals who started with -5 points in the standings. At the post-match press conference, when asked about the feeling of points turning positive, Slutsky said: "Previously, my friends didn't understand the situation and asked how the team was doing after the season started. I said we played quite well, remained unbeaten, but only had one point. This feeling was strange, but it was the reality."

Starting with -10 points meant Shenhua had to be in a chasing position from the very beginning of the league. Slutsky admitted it was distressing when he learned this news, "When learning about the -10 points, I felt very sad and heartbroken. This is the reality; we cannot comment further, we can only work hard. I don't know exactly where we stand on the points table now, but that is not important to me; we need to handle the reality of each step well."

Under immense pressure, Shenhua also faced unfavorable opening fixtures and severe injury issues, but the team showed resilience, achieving 3 wins and 2 draws in the first 5 league rounds, remaining unbeaten. Slutsky was also very satisfied with this record. "Compared with other teams, our first 5 matches were relatively difficult. Especially considering our three consecutive away matches—Zhejiang Team, Beijing Guoan, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger—none were easy to pass. Among the opponents in the first 5 rounds, there was also Dalian Yingbo, who defeated Harbor and currently have 9 points. All our opponents in these 5 matches were strong. Despite our difficult schedule, the team performed excellently. Additionally, we had injury situations, including foreign player appearances, these were practical difficulties, but indeed the whole team did very well."