Reporter Cheng Shan reported On the evening of the 23rd, with the glory of last season's double championship, Shanghai Port, which has undergone a major change, ushered in its first Chinese Super League game of the new season. Despite suffering injuries before the game, a 3-1 home win over Shenzhen Xinpeng City gave Harbour a good start in the 2025 Chinese Super League.

At the beginning of the year, Shanghai Port played three games, and although Muscat has sent the strongest squad of the current team in addition to the injured players, it has always been difficult for Haigang to lose three games and concede nine goals. What made Muscat even more depressed was that the team was affected by a lot of injuries at the beginning of the new season.

Wu Lei's knee injury is expected to take 8 to 10 weeks to recover, plus the recovery of training, roughly calculated that it will take about 4 months, and it is optimistic that he can return in June. Two days before the start of the league, the harbor opened the new season departure ceremony at home, Wu Lei, who had not appeared for a long time, appeared in front of the public, speaking as a representative of the players, he said: "The combat effectiveness of the harbor will not be weakened by personnel changes, but will only be stronger because of unity." The words were very encouraging, but the reality was that the seaport had been affected by a series of personnel changes.

In addition to Wu Lei, who was unable to play at the beginning of the season, players were injured in the team during this time, first of all, the new recruit Gabriel injured his knee ligament in training, and it is estimated that the injury will be out for about 4 to 6 weeks. Just before the start of the first round of the league against Shenzhen Xinpeng City, Li Ang, who had been captaining the team during the winter break, suffered another groin injury and was unable to play in the first round of the league, and his absence made the already weak backline even worse. Due to the inability of Wu Lei and Li Ang to appear, in the first league game, the captain's armband of the harbor was worn on Yan Junling's arm.

Muscat started the new season for the Harbour team with a reduced lineup. The opponent Shenzhen Xinpeng City is not a strong opponent, but the current harbor team, no matter what kind of opponent they encounter, Muscat and the team members dare not take it lightly.

This season marks the 20th anniversary of the Harbour Club, and fans in the stands pulled out a giant Tifo to celebrate and cheer on the team. Interestingly, at the entrance to the A13 fan stand, there is also a banner with Oscar's head. The loss of this core is very regrettable for both the team and the fans.

Pre-kick-off OPTA data shows that Harbour is the team that averages the most goals per game in the first round of the season in the history of the Chinese Super League, with 2.9 goals. In the starting lineup, Muscat still showed his offensive characteristics, sending 4 foreign aids, and Jiang Guangtai, who returned from injury, appeared in the list. Harbour got off to a dream start with a set-piece chance from a set-piece for a goal from Yusa. After that, the scene was not one-sided as imagined, after the home team temporarily led 1-0, the away Xinpeng City played a wave of beautiful attack, the harbor in the first half in addition to that goal, the attacking side did not make any achievements, the field exposed the position responsibility is not clear, the new signings are unfamiliar with the problem of unfamiliarity.

At half-time, Muscat highlighted the issues that arose in the first half, encouraging his players to focus on teamwork. In the first 15 minutes of the second half, the Harbour team had not yet found an effective way, and the entire offensive system was not fluent, resulting in the inability to organize the fast attack mode that the coach wanted.

In the 62nd minute, the harbor counterattacked, Leonardo made a direct pass in the midfield, Xu Xin was diagonally plugged with his back, Gustavo scored a goal, and Shanghai Port led Xinpeng City 2-0. After scoring the goal, Gustavo looked so excited that he put the ball in his shirt and celebrated in the stands. After the game, Gustavo introduced that his wife Mayara was pregnant with her second child, and her second child would be born soon.

In the 80th minute, Sakarya picked up a pass to the left side of the penalty area, An Yongjia volleyed at a small angle, and the ball hit Yan Junling and refracted into the net, and Xinpeng City chased it to 1-2. In the 2nd minute, Xinpeng City's midfielder made a mistake in passing, Gustavo burst into the penalty area and was tackled, and the referee decisively awarded a penalty. Gustavo scored 3-1.

Xu Xin's first game of the new season was very eye-catching, creating 4 chances in this game, setting a new personal record in a single Chinese Super League. Muscat made a point of mentioning after the game: "Xu Xin has basically played the whole game in the last two games, and he has shown his ability, especially Gustavo's first goal, his passing is very good, including the combination of midfield and team-mates. Because he has been playing this season, the tacit understanding with Yusa is also improving. ”

Muscat was obviously happy with the performance but he needed to find a way to change in the last three or four weeks, 'We've had some personnel challenges in the last three or four weeks, the squad is changing, but everybody has done their part in the process and has shown their value, everyone at club and in the team is needed, and tonight's performance was a reflection of that. Muscat said.