On January 18 at 15:30, Dalian Yibo faced Shanghai Shenhua in a friendly match. All five foreign players of Dalian Yibo were present and participated in training. Considering the short time since the players joined the team and the need to evaluate them, only one foreign player, Kalanga, was fielded in the starting lineup for Dalian Yibo. The national team players of Shanghai Shenhua have returned to training but did not participate in the match, while five foreign players including Myniro and Teixeira started the game. On the Dalian side, Xiao Wen faced his former team, with players such as Jin Pengxiang, Lv Peng, Sun Bo, Lv Zhuoyi, and Yang Mingrui in the starting lineup.
The son of Dalian Yibo's investor, Wang Yingwei, live-streamed the match, which was the team's first real confrontation with a Super League team after their promotion. As a title-contending team, Shanghai Shenhua showed no mercy from the start, adopting an aggressive pressing tactic with a fast pace that caught Dalian Yibo off guard. Early in the game, Kalanga had a one-on-one opportunity but failed to capitalize on it. Shortly after, Shenhua launched a counterattack with Yang Haoyu scoring the first goal, putting Dalian Yibo behind 0-1 early on.
Coach Li Guoxu is also adapting to playing against Super League teams, constantly shouting instructions to his players on the sidelines. Dalian Yibo also had attacking opportunities, with Kalanga once again finding himself in a one-on-one situation, only to be denied by the goalkeeper. After winter training, Kalanga's physical condition and stamina are good, but his finishing could be better. In the second half, Dalian brought on substitutes such as Yan Xiangchuang, Cao Haqing, and Huang Zihao, while Shenhua introduced Yu Hanchao and Li Ke, replacing all their foreign players. Since it was a friendly match, both teams played openly with active tackling.
Dalian Yibo held their own throughout the match, creating numerous shooting chances, but were slightly lacking in midfield control due to the absence of foreign players. Liao Jintao came off the bench in the latter stages of the game, showing great initiative in running and willingness to engage physically, effectively blocking opponents' counterattacks. The only thing missing was his chemistry with the team, which will require some time to develop. Lv Peng remains the first choice for the new season's central midfielder position, capable of playing alongside Liao Jintao and Ali Mi without conflicting technical characteristics.
Liao Jintao has proven to be a valuable addition to Dalian Yibo, holding his own in midfield battles against Shenhua with fierce tackling. It's not out of the question for him to become a regular starter in the Super League next season. He is the youngest and most promising signing this year, significantly enhancing the team's level. Substitute goalkeeper Huang Zihao played the second half, saving a one-on-one chance from the opposition. In the last two friendly matches, he and Sui Weijie each played half a game, with the starting position up for competition. In the final 20 minutes of the match, Shenhua's frontcourt combination saw Yu Hanchao pass in a triangle, with Dai Weijun scoring the second goal.
Dalian Yibo lost 0-2 to Shanghai Shenhua, a result within expectations, as there is still a gap between them and the Super League title contenders. The score in a friendly match is not important; the focus is on integrating the squad and practicing tactics, as well as evaluating players. The pleasant surprises for Dalian in this match were Liao Jintao and Huang Zihao, two young players who displayed great confidence on the field. However, there were shortcomings in Kalanga's finishing ability and the full-back positions, with coach Li Guoxu calling out to Cao Haqing throughout the second half. Strengthening the center back and full-back positions is still needed, and with a long time left before the transfer window closes, friendly matches provide the best opportunity to identify and address issues.