At 19:35, as the night falls, Beijing welcomes a key matchup - the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, the battle of Lujing is back. This annual event, as intense as the final, will rekindle the passion of the new workers.
A month ago, Taishan had defeated Beijing Guoan 3:0 at home and laughed at the game. However, Taishan does not have an absolute advantage in this matchup. Guoan's blazing home field and recent hot record will pose a big challenge for Taishan.
The battle of Lujing has always been exciting, especially in the F.A.C. Cup. Will this encounter go down in history as a battle between the two teams?
The Passion of the New Industrial Stadium Remains the Same
Taishan and Beijing Guoan are both leaders in the history of the AFC Cup. Taishan has won the Cup eight times, while Guoan has topped it four times. The fact that both teams have Cup blood in their veins makes this quarterfinal all the more significant.
The two sides will face off for the ninth time in the AFC Cup this season. In the previous eight meetings, Taishan had the upper hand by eliminating their opponents six times. However, the last two encounters have seen both sides with equal strength.
In the 2018 FA Cup final, Taishan battled Guoan for three rounds, eventually drawing 3:3, with Guoan winning the title by virtue of their away goal advantage. The following year, Taishan got their revenge with a 1:0 win over Guoan in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.
If you include the league, the feud runs even deeper, which makes the match highly anticipated.
This season, Guoan's home atmosphere is exceptionally hot, posing a huge challenge to the visiting team. However, Taishan never flinched in the New Industrial Stadium. Historically, they have been here to dedicate Su Maozhen thousands of miles of single rider, Leif hat, Han Peng 40 meters burst shot and other classic scenes.
On August 19th, Guoan ushered in the 1000th game in the team's history in the "Battle of Beijing and Shanghai" at home. The fans inspired the team with a huge Tifo that covered almost the entire stand, and the attendance reached 52,500, the highest attendance record in the Chinese Super League.
It is understood that the market for this game is also hot, individual tickets sold out quickly. For this reason, Guoan set up an additional grandstand open to fans to meet the demand of fans watching the game.
Guoan in solid form
Taishan and Guoan have met twice in the league this season. In the first round, Taishan drew 0:0 on the road against Guoan. Back at home, Taishan won easily with 3:0.
In the view of Guoan fans, this away loss is a "battle of shame". Taishan team fans are fond of "Jiaqi sliding kneeling" "Dare repair lights" and other scenes, but has become a pain in the heart of the Guoan fans.
However, Beijing Guoan is not the same team as a month ago. With new coach Luis Suarez getting better with the team, Guoan will surely bring great difficulties to Taishan when they play at home.
After losing to Taishan, Guoan's spirit was renewed, and in the next five games, they achieved an undefeated record of 4 wins and 1 draw. on August 26th, Guoan went on the road and beat Cangzhou Lions 5:1 in 5 games, displaying horrible dominance in front of the net.
Suarez's adjustments to the national midfield have been remarkable.
In recent matches, Guoan learned from the lessons of losing control against Jinmen Tiger and Taishan, and activated Zhang Xizhe, a previously marginalized player. Zhang Xizhe has lived up to his reputation, contributing goals and assists in several games.
Comparatively speaking, Taishan's recent performance has been a bit flat, even being broken by Shenzhen, the top team in the league. Facing the rise of their old rivals, Taishan need to forget about their past victories and prepare for the difficulties.
Tarzan builds up for battle
Taishan coach Cui Kangxi, who has been coaching in Chinese soccer for many years, knows the importance of this game. on August 25, in the Chinese Super League, Cui Kangxi chose to rest some of the main players to save their strength for this game.
Despite the fact that the high-speed train journey from Jinan to Beijing takes only one and a half hours, Taishan team chose to arrive in Beijing the day before the pre-match training, i.e. on the 29th. This is enough to reflect the importance the team attaches to the game.
All five of Taishan's foreigners, including the previously injured Pato, arrived in Beijing. Fellaini will be a key player in the offensive end of Taishan. This season, Guoan's air defense disadvantage is exposed, Fellaini's height advantage and header ability will play a key role.
Cressan, Moises and Jadson have been in good form recently and will form the starting lineup of four foreigners with Fellaini. Pato is recovering well from his injury and it is doubtful whether he will play for Taishan.
In the previous three seasons, Taishan won the "three consecutive championships" of the AFC Cup, creating an unbreakable record. This season, Taishan will have to avoid a premature loss in the quarterfinals of the AFC Cup. In the face of heavy challenges, the team can only go all out to win.
