Soccer News: Following the Derby, Shanghai braces for another showdown with Beijing; Shanghai’s soccer scene remains sizzling hot

After overturning a defeat to win against the Port in the “Shanghai Derby,” Shenhua is set to face a formidable opponent, Beijing Guoan, in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. The match will take place on August 22 at the Shanghai Stadium.

The Soccer News wrote that from the “Shanghai Derby” to the “Beijing-Shanghai Clash,” Shanghai’s soccer market has experienced its most exciting week yet. The official number of spectators present at the “Derby” was 39,928, setting a new attendance record since the renovation of the Shanghai Stadium. Although the “Beijing-Shanghai Clash” in the FA Cup is scheduled for a Thursday night during the workweek, after the conclusion of the “Derby,” when reporters checked the official ticketing platform again, it showed that tickets for the match between Shenhua and Beijing Guoan on August 22 were already “sold out.” This means that all tickets for the two consecutive matches within this week have been pre-sold. Due to a slightly smaller number of tickets released for the “Beijing-Shanghai Clash” compared to the “Derby,” the attendance rate on the evening of the 22nd should be slightly lower than the one a few days ago for the “Derby.” However, Shenhua fans will undoubtedly continue to cheer their team on with all their might.

Following last weekend’s victory over the Port, Slutsky stated at the post-match press conference, “Our current focus is already on the next FA Cup match.” Unfortunately, just like in the “Beijing-Shanghai Clash” about half a month ago, Manafa and Malele are both sidelined due to injuries and will not be able to participate in the match against Guoan with the strongest lineup. If Shenhua can win against Guoan and advance to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, they will face the winner of the Port and Tianjin Jinmen Tigers match in the next round. The team will also face five matches across three competitions—the Chinese Super League, the FA Cup, and the AFC Champions League Elite League—within approximately half a month from September 13 to September 28. In other words, there will be roughly one game every three days, making the schedule very tight and challenging.