Port: A hard-fought win in the AFC Champions League remains elusive, only Muscat staying with the team is good news

Written by Cheng Shan For Shanghai Port, fully committed to defending their Chinese Super League crown, the extensive rotation in the starting lineup for the home game against Machida Zelvia essentially sealed the result from the start. Following a 0-2 defeat to a similarly rotated Machida team, Port continues to find it difficult to claim a victory in the AFC Champions League Elite Tournament. The sole positive is that head coach Muscat's negotiations with Rangers broke down, so Port no longer has to worry about their coach being poached during the critical title run in the CSL.

Before the match, head coach Muscat stated that Shanghai Port’s performance in the AFC Champions League Elite Tournament had improved, including the second half against Sanfrecce Hiroshima last round: “We need to keep looking forward and fully motivate the players who are available to play; this is what we must strive to achieve.” In this match, Brazilian forward Gustavo was suspended, and although Muscat expressed optimism before the game, Port still made significant changes to their starting lineup.

Compared to last Friday’s away match against Qingdao Hainiu, only midfielders Vital, Yusa, and Melendo retained their starting spots, while the attacking trio Liu Ruofan and Leonardo were on the bench; Gabriel and left-back Li Shuai were not even included in the squad. This lineup rotation was even greater than in previous matches against Vissel Kobe and Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Defensively, key players Umiti Jiang and Wang Shenchao did not start; Zhang Linpeng and Wei Zhen partnered with Jiang Guangtai, with Alexis Zu and Fu Huan on the wings. Besides the three foreign midfielders, Li Xinxiang got his chance, while Li Shenglong started up front.

On the opponent’s side, Machida Zelvia fielded six key defenders and midfielders from last Saturday’s J1 League match, rotating five attackers. In the front line, compared to their last AFC Champions League away game against Johor Darul Ta’zim, only Korean foreign player Roh Sang-ho was replaced by Australian veteran Duke. The attacking trio consisted of center forward Fujio Shota and left winger Soma Yuki, flanked by Masuyama Asahi and Mochizuki Kaiki on the wings. Objectively, both Chinese and Japanese teams rotated their squads in the AFC Champions League, but Machida’s squad depth was clearly much stronger.

In the first half, Machida Zelvia took control and dominated: 11 shots to 1, 7 on target to none, with four clear scoring chances. Just 12 minutes in, Masuyama Asahi crossed from the left; although Chen Wei saved Fujio Shota’s header in the center, Fu Huan accidentally scored an own goal while trying to clear. On the 25th minute, Soma Yuki’s shot deflected off the diving Wei Zhen’s back into the net. At the 34th minute, Soma Yuki headed the ball to the post from the far post, and Mochizuki Kaiki’s header was also saved by Chen Wei. Chen Wei also blocked two one-on-one attempts by Duke; without the post and Chen Wei’s excellent goalkeeping, Port could have fallen far behind by halftime.

At the start of the second half, Li Shenglong and Jiang Guangtai were substituted off for Kuai Jiwen and Umiti Jiang. Eleven minutes later, Zhang Linpeng failed to clear the ball far enough in the penalty area, and Hoshida Hokuto’s through ball found Soma Yuki on the left, who scored, but VAR intervened and the goal was disallowed. Muscat then immediately replaced Melendo and Li Xinxiang with Leonardo and Liu Ruofan, hoping to improve the attack. Machida Zelvia also brought on Korean duo Woo Se-hun and Roh Sang-ho for Fujio Shota and Duke, maintaining pressure up front.

In the final half hour, both sides lost momentum. Despite Shanghai Port’s attempts to increase offensive efforts, they failed to score and ultimately lost 0-2. Across the first three rounds of the AFC Champions League Elite Tournament against three Japanese teams, Shanghai Port’s record stands at one draw and two defeats, with a goal difference of 1 to 6, clearly at a disadvantage.

Compared to the reserved approach in the AFC Champions League Elite Tournament, Port fans are more concerned about the sudden reversal in head coach Muscat’s situation. Initially, the only disagreement with Glasgow Rangers was about the start date. Muscat wanted to complete the Chinese Super League season first to fulfill his duty of leading Shanghai Port to defend their title. However, on Monday British media reported that negotiations between Muscat and Rangers completely broke down because he could not accept Rangers’ control over transfer and team management. Previously, Rangers’ first-choice candidate Steven Gerrard also declined for the same reason.

After 24 hours of urgent talks, on Tuesday Rangers finally persuaded the previously rejected young German coach Daniel Roel, who had withdrawn from negotiations last week, to change his mind and accept Rangers’ invitation, officially announcing his appointment. This means that for Port, the sudden crisis of Muscat’s departure last week has been fully resolved. During the remaining CSL title race, Muscat will focus wholeheartedly on defending the championship.