On August 13th, Shandong Taishan will host Thai club Bangkok United in the AFC Champions League play-off. Before the match, Chinese media outlet “Football News” believes this is the toughest match of the season for Shandong Taishan. Thai media outlet “Siam Sports” stated that Bangkok United, with more foreign players, can at least secure a draw.
Shandong Taishan released Fernando during the summer transfer window, and their leading scorer, Cresan, sustained an injury just before the match. Zeca is also unavailable for the match. Shandong Taishan’s only remaining foreign attacker is Kasa. Adding to these issues, Gao Zhunyi is suspended, Wu Xinghan is injured, and Liu Yang’s availability is uncertain. With Shandong Taishan’s current form in the league, “Football News” believes this is their toughest match of the season.
In contrast, Bangkok United has a strong team, they won their first match of the new Thai League season 2-1, giving them the upper hand in terms of morale. Furthermore, Bangkok United can field at least 5 foreign players, including former Changchun Yatai player Djordje Djokovic.
Thai media “Siam Sports” analyzed the differences between the two teams in terms of personnel. They specifically pointed out that several players on the Taishan team participated in the previous Round of 36 of the competition, helping China advance over Thailand. Therefore, from the perspective of Sino-Thai football rivalry, Bangkok United also has the task of avenging Thailand.
Siam Sports believes that although Bangkok United is playing away, with their advantage in foreign players, they can draw 0-0 with Shandong Taishan in the regular 90 minutes. They have a chance to force extra time. Once the game enters extra time, it will be a clear advantage for Bangkok United, who are just starting the new season.
This article is from a user submission and does not represent the views of Soccer News Pick. If you repost it, please indicate the source: https://www.soccernewspick.com/other/26329.html
