The captain of the life and death team is expected to make a comeback, but he missed the group stage on October 10, 2018, and the adjustment of the starting lineup is imminent

Preface

The national football team drew 0-0 with Tajikistan in their opening match and now they will face their second opponent in the group stage, Lebanon. Coach Jankovic gave an insightful summary of the opening game to help the players better understand the intensity of the Asian Cup.

This match with Lebanon is undoubtedly a life-and-death battle for the national football team, the winner will have the initiative to qualify, and the loser may face the fate of elimination in advance. In this article, we will give you a detailed preview of this crucial battle and see how much chance the national football team really has to win.

The captain of the national football team is expected to make a comeback, and Wei Shihao is afraid that he will not be able to participate in all the group stages

Before the first match against Tajikistan in the group stage of the Asian Cup, the national football team's lineup suffered a big blow. Wu Xi, the core of the midfield (captain), who has been plagued by injuries, unfortunately failed to be selected for the game squad. This has undoubtedly brought some pressure to the midfield organization of the national football team.

To add insult to injury, during the training the day before the game, the winger Ma Wei Shihao was suddenly injured, and after the team doctor's examination, it was confirmed that he had a groin injury. Recovery from this injury usually takes around two weeks, which means that Wei Shihao is likely to miss the entire group stage.

However, the national football team is not completely in trouble. After a period of active adjustment and treatment, Wu Xi's injuries have basically recovered. In the training on the morning of the 15th, he returned to the team's joint training camp. This is also the first time that Wu Xi has participated in training with the ball since the national football team arrived in Doha, which undoubtedly injected a shot of strength into the midfield of the national football team.

In contrast, Wei Shihao's recovery from his injury has not been so smooth. He is still training on the sidelines in the company of the team doctor, Kim Il. As things stand, it will take at least a few more days for him to practice together.

Jankovic considered making changes to the starting lineup

Judging from the performance of the national football team in the first game of the Asian Cup, there are certain doubts and discussions about Jankovic's starting lineup. In the game, except for Zhu Chenjie and Dai Weijun, the other players were over 30 years old, which made the team have the need for rotation and change of formation in the second game against Lebanon.

If Wu Xi recovers well, he has the ability to replace Wang Qiuming as the starter. As an experienced midfielder, Wu Xi has excellent passing and playmaking skills, which can bring more stable ball control and offensive organization to the team.

At the same time, Xu Xin, as a defensive midfielder with rich experience, performed well after coming off the bench in the first game, and his defensive ability and tackling skills and back-inserted offense provided a better guarantee for the defense and attack of the national football team.

In addition to Wu Xi and Xu Xin, substitutes Zhang Yuning and Lin Liangming also showed good performances. As a high school striker, Zhang Yuning showed excellent heading ability and point-grabbing awareness after coming on as a substitute for Tan Long, creating some dangerous attacking opportunities for the team.

As a young striker, Lin Liangming was active after the substitute Dai Weijun came out, showing speed and breakthrough ability, injecting new vitality into the offensive end of the national football team.

In addition, Xie Pengfei also performed well as a skilled attacking midfielder. He showed excellent passing and shooting ability in the game, creating some dangerous attacking opportunities for the national team. If Jankovic decides to rotate and change formations, Xie Pengfei is also a player to consider.

According to the reporters at the front, Jankovic and his coaching staff are seriously summing up the experience and lessons of the first game and considering adjustments to the lineup and starters. They realised that the team faced stiff competition in the Asian Cup and had to keep the team competitive and fighting through rotation and change.

A few suggestions for the national football team

In the opening match of this Asian Cup, the match between Qatar and Lebanon undoubtedly left a deep impression. The Lebanese team, in particular, impressed with their amazing physical condition.

For the Chinese men's football team, if they want to compete with Lebanon through a simple long pass, I am afraid the effect will not be ideal. That's not to say that there is a problem with the tactic of long passing, but against an opponent like Lebanon, it may not be as effective as possible. Lebanon's players are not only physically outstanding, but they are also highly skilled and tactically literate.

Even more noteworthy is Lebanon's No.22, who is outstanding with his ability to dribble the ball and is almost an unstoppable presence. The Chinese men's football team must develop a special defensive strategy to mark this player. If he is allowed to play freely in the game, then the Chinese men's football team's backline is likely to face a huge threat.

In the face of such an opponent, the Chinese men's football team should not be too bold to press the attack. They need to be more careful about the timing and way of attacking to avoid leaving the opponent a chance to counterattack because of blind attack.

Of course, this does not mean that the Chinese men's football team should give up attacking. Instead, they should look for a more well-rounded and organized attack to play to their strengths as much as possible. On top of that, they also need to be on the defensive and ready to defend and counterattack.