Shanghai Shenhua: Facing Henan in two matches, aiming to win them both!

Special Contribution / Gan Hui On July 20, Shenhua returned triumphantly from Beijing. Defeating Guoan holds special significance for Shenhua, as they previously faced a 12-match losing streak at the Workers' Stadium, which was a heavy psychological burden. With this victory, that burden has finally been lifted.

After the match against Guoan, Shenhua's head coach Slutskiy calmly stated at the press conference, "This match is just one of the important games of the season; the league is far from over. I believe the most important thing for the team right now is to continue working hard and perform well in every subsequent match; otherwise, the significance of this victory will be lost."

Of course, the battle for the 2025 season is still ongoing, and Shenhua is not yet in a celebratory mood. On July 23 and 27, Shenhua will face Henan in two consecutive matches in the FA Cup quarter-finals and the Super League. According to the schedule, both matches will be held at Shenhua's home ground.

In the away match against Beijing Guoan, Shenhua's new foreign player Asue delivered an impressive performance. Facing the defensive duo of Guoan's Ngadeu and Spajic, Asue, playing as the lone striker, showcased his agility and clever positioning, gaining the upper hand in confrontations. In 59 minutes on the pitch, Asue scored one goal, with three of his four shots on target and two key passes.

During the media open day in the break, Asue emphasized his heading ability when introducing his characteristics. In a warm-up match against Qingdao Hainiu, he scored twice with headers. In the league match against Beijing Guoan, Asue jumped high amidst opposing defenders to score with a header, proving his heading prowess.

In the match against Beijing Guoan, Andre accumulated four yellow cards and will be suspended. Andre and Asue have yet to cooperate in an official match. In fact, "442" is a formation frequently used by Slutskiy, and there is a good chance that both Andre and Asue will play together in the FA Cup match against Henan midweek. It will be exciting to see what kind of chemistry these two players, who previously played for Moreirense in Portugal, can create at Shenhua.

After returning to Shanghai from Beijing on the 20th, the Shenhua team immediately began preparations for training. Of course, they will strive to win both matches against Henan this week.

In the match against Beijing Guoan, Shenhua tactically chose to cede possession, focusing on counter-attacks, with only about 30% possession. As a result, the team spent much of the time chasing the ball, which required more physical exertion. The match was intense, fast-paced, and demanding, leading to substitutions for Gao Tianyi, Asue, and Chen Jinyi due to severe fatigue.

Upon returning to the training base, Shenhua's top priority is physical recovery. Whether through recovery training or the physiotherapy sessions arranged by the medical team, the goal is to help the players recover their stamina in the shortest possible time, ensuring they are in good condition for the upcoming match against Henan midweek.

From the current situation, Shenhua can field a relatively complete squad for the upcoming matches. In the first half of the season, Shenhua struggled with injuries and was unable to field five foreign players in most matches. Now, with the return of injured players, Teixeira, Andre, Asue, Amadou, and Manafa are all available to play, allowing Slutskiy to deploy different player combinations as needed, including the possibility of fielding all five foreign players simultaneously.

Of course, Asue and Amadou still have some way to go to reach their best physical condition and will need time to adjust. Slutskiy stated, "Currently, his (Asue's) fitness level may be suitable for around 60 minutes of play, but I believe that as he adapts to the pace of the game, he will improve. I cannot accurately assess his future potential based solely on recent training sessions, but I believe that the young player has great potential to prove his abilities in the future."

As for Amadou, he is gradually recovering from a serious injury. In the match against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Amadou came on as a substitute in the 88th minute. Since then, his playing time has been gradually increasing. In the match against Beijing Guoan, Amadou was able to play a half, and everything is progressing in a positive direction.