Shenhua advances to the FA Cup final! For the 7th time in team history, he rushed for the AFC Champions League ticket and disrupted the 30th anniversary celebration of Manatee
With Malele's opening three-minute goal, Shanghai Shenhua advanced to the FA Cup final after an away win over Qingdao Manatee. Facing Shandong Taishan in the FA Cup final for the third time, Shenhua will not only impact the fourth FA Cup in team history, but also the AFC Champions League ticket next season.
Because of various factors, both the final match of the Chinese Super League and the semi-finals of the FA Cup are more lively than ever. Because of the schedule, the FA Cup semi-finals were postponed to after the final match of the Chinese Super League, which made Shenhua and Manatee go all out.
For Manatee, this is not only the final game of the season's home game, but also the 30th anniversary celebration of the team's history, and if they reach the final, it will be the first time in 21 years that they will qualify for the FA Cup final, and they will also welcome the Qilu derby in the final.
For Shenhua, this is a battle of redemption and righteousness. After losing to Zhejiang in the final game of the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Shenhua slipped from third to fifth, which is difficult for Shenhua fans to accept. At the same time, if Shenhua hopes to play in the AFC Champions League next season, then they can only hope to win the FA Cup.
However, the preparation of the two teams is different. In order to prepare for the semi-finals, Manatee rested most of the main players in the final game of the Chinese Super League, and none of the four foreign players started. On the contrary, Shenhua did their best in the first game against Zhejiang, and the home defeat finally ranked fifth, leaving the Shenhua players physically and mentally exhausted.
Another advantage of Manatee is that it is fighting at home, and with the 30th anniversary celebration, Manatee can be said to have the advantage of the right time and place. However, the two teams have met twice in the Chinese Super League this season, with the Manatees losing 0-1.
However, Amadou and Malele teamed up to score in just three minutes of the opening game, and Shanghai Shenhua successfully took the lead. After Liu Junshuai left the scene in red, Qingdao Manatee was powerless. In the end, Shanghai Shenhua defeated Qingdao Manatee with a score of 1-0 for the third time this season.
After defeating Manatee, Shenhua reached the FA Cup final for the seventh time in history. Previously, Shenhua had won the FA Cup in 1998, 2017 and 2019, and was runners-up in 1995, 1997 and 2015.
This will be Shenhua's third time facing Shandong Taishan in the final, with the first meeting coming in 1995 when Shenhua lost 0-2 and the second in 2019 when Shenhua got revenge after winning 3-1.
If Shenhua finally wins the championship and gets the AFC Champions League ticket, then Wu Jingui will really fight back to the doubts of the outside world and draw a perfect end to a controversial season.