The new season's debut ended with Shanghai Shenhua's exit from the AFC Champions League, and their new formation still requires refinement.

Special Contributor/Gan Hui Shanghai Shenhua’s 2026 season opener ended in a loss. On the 10th, in the AFC Champions League Elite East Asia group stage match at home, Shenhua was defeated 0-2 by Machida Zelvia, resulting in their early exit from the group stage.

Compared to last season, Shenhua has made some adjustments in both formation and personnel deployment. For the new season, head coach Slutsky switched from the “442” formation used in the previous two seasons to a “433.” “My main adjustment in formation is based on the current team roster. I hope to maximize the potential of every player. During this winter training, we focused extensively on adapting and practicing the 433 system. I believe the team’s performance will definitely improve compared to the last match of last season.”

With the formation change, the starting lineup also saw some alterations. In the season opener, Shenhua’s starting eleven consisted of goalkeeper Xue Qinghao; defenders Manafa, Jin Shunkai, Zhu Chenjie, and Chen Jinyi; midfielders Wu Xi, Li Ke, and Teixeira; and the attacking “trident” formed by the two new foreign signings, Guy, Latang, and Minero.

However, from the match, it appears that switching from “442” to “433” with only about a month of winter training was insufficient. The team’s cohesion showed some issues, especially players like Teixeira, who have yet to fully integrate into the new system. Overall, the team lacks a midfield playmaker to better link the defense and attack.

During the game, Slutsky maintained his coaching style from the past two seasons, being relatively “stingy” with substitutions. Throughout the match, he only used two substitution slots, bringing on Gao Tianyi and Yang Haoyu to replace Li Ke and Guy respectively. Towards the end, some starters showed clear signs of fatigue, gradually falling behind the opponent’s pace. After the match, Slutsky explained the substitution of Guy: “Guy’s playing time in the English Championship was inconsistent, so his fitness is still lacking. I believe as the season progresses, Guy will be able to handle full matches.”

Of course, this was just the first match of the new season, and with significant changes in the team’s formation and tactics, aspects like tactical adaptation and the performance of new signings still require further observation in upcoming games.

In this match, Shenhua conceded two goals: one early on and another during the final stage when players’ stamina was depleted. This clearly reflected Shenhua’s difficulties adapting to the new attacking and defensive system and issues with the main players’ energy management.

The defeat left Slutsky very disappointed. “As the first match of the year, the intensity was indeed very high, continuing the fierce level seen in the previous AFC Champions League Elite matches. We were unlucky to concede a goal right at the start. Although we created many chances later, unfortunately, we couldn’t capitalize. The team’s fitness also declined noticeably towards the end, which makes the final result quite regrettable.”

Despite failing to score, Slutsky was still very positive about the performance of the team’s new attacking trident. “I think the three foreign attackers performed well and showed a high level, causing a lot of trouble for the opposing defense.” Slutsky also revealed, “During the preparation period, we spent a lot of time on team cohesion and training. Minero and Latang are both distinct players, and I want to leverage their strengths, so I gave them more tactical freedom to help them play to their best.”

On February 17th, at 20:15 on Lunar New Year’s Day, Shenhua will play away against Buriram United, their last opponent in the AFC Champions League Elite phase. Having already been eliminated, this match will serve as an opportunity for Shenhua to further train and test their lineup.