Facing Kaya tonight, if Taishan wins, there is a high probability of qualifying from the group

Switch back to the AFC Champions League track, can you send back the good news?

At 11:28 on November 20, the AFC Champions League will usher in a key battle, Shandong Taishan will face Kaya FC at home. Facing the weakest opponent in the group, the Tarzan team has a lot of confidence to win on their home turf. A win would give the team a place in the group. At the same time, this game will most likely be Moisés' home farewell game.

Can the Tarzan team, who have just suffered a defeat in the FA Cup final, sweep away the gloom with a victory and give Moises a perfect home curtain call?

The main force returns

Finally able to fight the "battle of wealth"

In the final of the FA Cup, the Taishan team, which played with double foreign aid, lost 0:1 to Shanghai Shenhua and missed the cup. This crucial game has made the team physically exhausted. However, the AFC Champions League faced Kaya, and the Taishan team was able to fight a relatively wealthy battle.

On the evening of the 25th, the Taishan team returned to Jinan overnight in order to prepare for the AFC Champions League. Moisés, Judson and Fernando, who missed out on the FA Cup final, were all available, which was a big advantage for the Tarzans.

In the FA Cup final, the performance of the Taishan team's backline was average, and the only goal conceded was not unrelated to the defensive misposition of left-back Li Hailong. At the same time, the performance of Zhongwei Shi Ke was not satisfactory. In the face of a more flexible Kaya front, the Tarzan team needs to defend solidly. Judson's return has given the team's defense a "pin".

In the face of Kaya, the Taishan team is likely to make personnel rotations, and some relatively young players will be given the opportunity to play. On the 27th, teenager Zhao Jianfei and coach Cui Kangxi attended the pre-game press conference, which is an important signal. In addition, young players such as Hu Jinghang, Xie Wenneng, and Mai Wulang also have the possibility of playing.

At present, there is another variable in the Taishan team, that is, Fellaini. After the game on the 25th, the veteran did not return to Jinan with the team. At the pre-match press conference, a reporter asked Choi Kang-hee whether Fellaini could play in the game, but did not receive a positive response. If he is rested for this game, he will not be able to say a "real" goodbye to the fans at home.

Aim for three points

Winning the game is basically out of the line

For the Tarzan team, this is a must-win game. Previously, when visiting the Philippines, the Taishan team had defeated the opponent 3:1 and returned to the home field. At the same time, the group stage has been played so far, Kaya still has not scored a point, and his strength is really limited, if he can't get all 3 points, the Taishan team will inevitably face huge pressure from public opinion.

The most important reason why it is necessary to win is that once the Taishan team gets 3 points, no matter whether the Yokohama Mariner can win in the final round, there will be a high probability of locking in a qualifying place.

At present, Yokohama Mariners and Shandong Taishan both have 9 points, ranking first and second in the group respectively. According to the rules, the group winners and the three best group runners-up from the five East Asian groups will advance to the knockout round.

The Taishan team is already the second group with the highest points in East Asia, and it already has the initiative to qualify. If the team can beat Kaya, the points will reach 12 points. Judging from the group points over the years, the group with 12 points can be second, and there is no suspense about qualifying. In addition, if Yokohama Mariners make mistakes in the next two games, Taishan still have hope of finishing the group stage as the first team.

This season, although the Taishan team has exceeded the goal of "top three in the league", it finally won the runner-up in the Chinese Super League and the FA Cup, which still made fans a little unwilling. The AFC Champions League has become the last direction of struggle for the Taishan team.

At present, it seems that the Taishan team may become the only seedling of the Chinese Super League to advance to the knockout round. The sooner the promotion is determined or not, the sooner the Taishan team can plan for next year's reinforcement goals.

Farewell to the "Model Worker"

Moy is saying goodbye

"It's almost over! The last time together. On the evening of the 26th, Moises posted on his personal social media, and at the same time posted a photo of himself with teammates Ji Xiang, Liu Binbin, and Song Long. It is reported that Moisés' contract with the Tarzan team will expire at the end of the year, and this game will be his home farewell game.

Moises joined Shandong Taishan in July 2019 and has been with the team for four and a half seasons. Before the 7 season, Moisés, whose contract had expired, chose to renew his contract with the Taishan team with a salary cut, which relieved the team's urgent need. So far, he has won 2022 FA Cup titles and 3 Chinese Super League title with the team.

Moises did not play in the FA Cup final, but the game proved his importance to the Tarzan team. Without Moises, no one in the Tarzan team can take on the responsibility of the midfield tandem organization, and can only rely on Cressan to frequently retreat to get the ball, but in this way, the Tarzan team's attack is stretched.

When Moises returns to the pitch, he will form a frontcourt link with Cressan, which is a tried and tested offensive tactic for the Tarzans. Unsurprisingly, this match is the last chance for fans to watch the "Brazil Connection" at home.

At the pre-match press conference, Choi Kang-hee confirmed the news that Moises will leave the team and spoke highly of the meritorious foreign player: "I haven't been with him for a long time. But in the game and in training, he has performed very well, he is the banner of the Taishan team, and he also plays a very good role model in front of the young players. Choi Kang-hee said that he regretted that he could not continue to work with Moisés and wished him a better future.

It is understood that the Taishan team will most likely hold a farewell ceremony for Moises before this game to thank the meritorious foreign aid for his contribution. At the same time, the Taishan team needs to make up for the shortcomings of the weak midfield position as soon as possible.

Qilu Evening News reporter Ji Yu