Shandong Taishan Chinese Super League team is currently in the off-season, and due to the long duration of their 2023 season, their winter training build-up time will be postponed accordingly. In the 2024 season, the first game of Shandong Taishan will be the AFC Champions League knockout round, and according to relevant arrangements, the draw ceremony for the AFC Champions League knockout round will be held at 4 pm Beijing time today.
According to the draw rules, Shandong Taishan qualified as the second place in the group and will be placed in Pot 2 next, which means they will play at home in the AFC Champions League knockout round and then travel to play away. In addition, according to the draw rules, Shandong Taishan may face four potential opponents in the AFC Champions League knockout round: Pohang Iron Man, Kawasaki Frontale, Bangkok United and Kofu Wind Forest.
Although the Yokohama Mariners are also in the first pot, Shandong Taishan will not play against them again due to the principle of avoiding the same group, which is also a big plus for the Taishan team. As far as these four potential opponents are concerned, Shandong Taishan should still be confident in the draw for the AFC Champions League 1 8 finals. Of the four teams, only Japan's Kawasaki Frontale is the most tricky, and if this team is drawn, Shandong Taishan may have some difficulties.
Looking at the situation of these four teams, Shandong Taishan should be confident enough to beat Thai side Bangkok United, and although they are top of the group, Taishan still have a certain psychological advantage against them. This is followed by Kofu Wind Forest, who are Japan's second-tier team, and although they also finished first in their group, they are relatively mediocre. They have met Zhejiang in the group stage before, and from the process point of view, Shandong Taishan is fully capable of beating them.
For Pohang Steelers, the key lies in Choi Kang-hee's on-the-spot performance. Although Pohang Steelers may be stronger than Taishan, this offseason, Pohang Steelers has suffered a serious attrition, and Shandong Taishan's new foreign striker Zeka is from Pohang Steelers. In addition, Choi Kang-hee's guidance has his own set of tactics against South Korean teams, as evidenced by Shandong Taishan's double win over Incheon United, so I believe that Choi Kang-hee's guidance will definitely be able to deal with Pohang Steelers.
For Kawasaki Frontale, Shandong Taishan may indeed need to be tough, and Shandong Taishan's lineup should be relatively complete by then, as for whether it can defeat the opponent, it depends on the on-field performance. The Tarzan team should be confident for now as they have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League. I hope that the players of the team can continue to work hard, show their characteristics and fighting spirit in the AFC Champions League, and win more victories. Let's work together and look forward to even better results!