Special contribution by Cheng Shan. After narrowly defeating Yunnan Yukun 2-1 on the evening of April 4th, Shanghai Port secured three hard-earned points, finally climbing out of the negative five-point predicament and temporarily rising from near the relegation line to ninth place on the league table. Next, Port will face their local rival Shanghai Shenhua. This match has been dubbed by outsiders as the historically "lowest derby." Can the defending champion Shanghai Port leverage this momentum to escape their slump?

Injury woes and a rocky start.

In the first three rounds of this season, Shanghai Port's performance of one win and two losses fell far short of expectations for a defending champion, placing them at thirteenth on the league table with negative two points. Losses at home to Henan and away to Dalian Yingbo exposed significant weaknesses in both attack and defense. New foreign signing Ampem failed to deliver the expected impact after joining, midfield control significantly declined, team organization in offense was disjointed, and defensive vulnerabilities frequently appeared.

Injuries have been a major factor limiting Port's performance: key central defender Jiang Guangtai returned to Shanghai base after systematic treatment and entered rehabilitation phase, but remains unavailable; wingers Liu Ruofan and Wang Zhenao have resumed training with the team, yet prolonged absence makes immediate match readiness difficult; U21 national team player Li Xinxiang injured in a national team warm-up further exacerbated the squad shortage. In the final training session before preparing for Yukun, the absence of two foreign players Jean-Claude and Ampem cast a shadow over Port's preparation prospects.

For the match against Yunnan Yukun, Muscat made targeted adjustments to the starting lineup: Yang Xi, Wei Zhen, Wu Miti Jiang, and Li Shuai formed a four-man defense; midfielders Vital and Lu Yongtao paired as double pivots; Kuai Jichen played as attacking midfielder; the frontline featured Gabriel, Liu Zhurun, and Leonardo. After kickoff, Port dominated, creating multiple threatening attacks; goals by Leonardo and Kuai Jichen were both ruled invalid due to prior offside positions. In the 35th minute, Gabriel delivered a precise cross from the right flank, Leonardo finished to break the deadlock. After halftime, Muscat substituted Wu Lei for Liu Zhurun and Yang Shiyuan for Lu Yongtao (who suffered a knee collision), aiming to boost offensive firepower. In the 61st minute, Yunnan Yukun equalized via a corner, suddenly tightening the situation. Subsequently, Port brought on Bao Shimeng, Liu Ruofan, Wang Shenchao, etc., to fully assault the opponent's defense. During stoppage time, Gabriel again provided a brilliant pass, Wang Shenchao calmly shot with his left foot from central penalty area to score the winning goal. Ultimately, Port narrowly won 2-1, securing crucial three points.

This victory injected much-needed confidence into Port, offering a glimpse of turnaround amidst the slump. Currently, after four rounds, Port has two wins and two losses, points recovered to one, temporarily distancing from relegation line. Local rival Shenhua started with negative ten points, still unable to escape negative zone after four rounds. The current league points and rankings of both teams set a new historical low for Shanghai derby, making the label "lowest derby" fitting.

Returning to normal track, perhaps after the local derby?

For Port, this Shanghai derby presents both a challenge and the best opportunity to escape the slump and return to normal track.

The current injury situation remains the biggest variable for Port's derby preparation. Jiang Guangtai remains in rehabilitation, unable to reinforce defense short-term; Liu Ruofan and Wang Zhenao are fit to play but need state adjustment; injuries to Lu Yongtao and Liu Zhurun may affect midfield and frontline deployment; Jean-Claude and Ampem are recovering smoothly, but availability for high-intensity derby requires coaching staff assessment. Good news is, after defeating Yunnan Yukun, Port's morale significantly improved, players' desire to win and cohesion strengthened, laying a solid psychological foundation for derby preparation.

As defending champion, Port's deep slump isn't due to a single factor. Points pressure from deductions, extensive injuries causing squad incompleteness, insufficient integration of new signings with team, disjointed midfield attack-defense linkage—these intertwined issues led to poor early-season performance. To escape the predicament early, Port needs multi-faceted solutions: stabilizing defense and improving defensive coordination, activating midfield control, accelerating integration of foreign and local players, addressing sluggish offensive organization, maintaining frontline efficiency, enhancing offensive diversity and finishing ability... all are challenging tasks.

Shanghai derby never lacks heat and topics; even though both teams are currently in slumps, this clash still captivates countless fans. For Shanghai Port, the last-minute win over Yunnan Yukun is only the beginning of stopping the decline; truly returning to normal track might occur after this special "lowest derby." In the coming week, Port will enter specialized preparation phase; Muscat needs to optimize lineup based on players' physical conditions and address exposed issues—whether this derby can be won will determine if Port can regain the rhythm and confidence befitting a defending champion.