Sept. 3: Shanghai Shenhua Beat Dalian Away to Reach Cup Semifinals; Win With 45 Goals Conceded and Injuries, Li Guoxu Says They Must Beat Strong Teams

On the evening of Sept. 1, 2026, Shanghai Shenhua defeated Dalian Yingbo away at Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium to advance to the semifinals of the Chinese FA Cup. The stadium, which can hold 60,000 spectators, has had the highest home winning rate in the Chinese Super League this season, but Shenhua secured victory despite being hit by injuries and conceding 45 goals in the first 25 league rounds. Dalian Yingbo stopped in the quarterfinals and can now devote all their attention back to the CSL fight for a top-two finish and Asian Champions League qualification.

Forty-eight hours before the match, both teams announced injury updates. Shenhua starting left-back Chen Jinyi suffered a partial tear of the right anterior talofibular ligament and is expected to recover in 4-6 weeks, ruling him out. Dalian's foreign striker Malcom Leye completed left thigh tendon surgery in Finland and is basically out for the season. Each side lost a key player, and pre-match opinion generally favored Dalian avoiding defeat at home.

The reality was completely different, as Shenhua achieved an away win despite their depleted squad.

Looking back at this unexpected result, it reveals a series of problems that have lasted for more than half a season. After 25 rounds of the 2026 CSL season, Shenhua had conceded 45 goals, while in the same period of the 2024 season they had conceded only 20 goals across 30 league matches, meaning defensive efficiency had declined by more than half. Head coach Milojovic took over midway through the season, and his team conceded an average of 3.3 goals per match in his first four games in charge.

In the 25th CSL round on Aug. 27, Shenhua lost 2-3 after being overturned away by Shandong Taishan. Seven players suffered cramps in that match, and Chen Jinyi suffered his ligament injury there. Fitness reserves and defensive stability collapsed at the same time, but the team had no way back, making the FA Cup the only remaining trophy Shenhua could pursue this season.

Going further back, Shenhua had remained unbeaten against Dalian Yingbo in their previous four official meetings, with three wins and one draw. Dalian Yingbo had never found a solution against this opponent. This season, Dalian averaged 61,318 spectators in 12 CSL home matches, and their victories were built on the defensive resilience developed by Li Guoxu.

On Aug. 23, Dalian hosted Beijing Guoan and Stanciu scored a stoppage-time free-kick equalizer, with team morale at a high point. But the FA Cup is different from the league, and the unpredictability of a single-elimination match was amplified by injuries and previous head-to-head records.

In the same FA Cup quarterfinal round, Shanghai Port defeated Shandong Taishan 3-0 away and also advanced to the semifinals. The two Shanghai teams both won away matches on the same day and entered the semifinals together. The 2024 FA Cup semifinals featured the Shanghai derby between Shanghai Port and Shanghai Shenhua, and both teams reaching this stage again this year shows that Shanghai football's competitiveness in cup competitions is being concentrated and released.

Returning to the match itself on Sept. 1, Dalian Yingbo had home advantage but were missing attacking core Malcom Leye. Shenhua's defense was full of problems and their starting left-back Chen Jinyi was unavailable, but they had no other choice. After the match, Dalian Yingbo head coach Li Guoxu told the media that a team must beat strong opponents to become a strong team, and that his players had given everything in the match.

The statement was both an acceptance of the result and a confirmation of the team's positioning. Dalian Yingbo are fourth in the CSL this season and level on points with second and third place, giving them the ability to challenge for Asian qualification, but in a single-elimination format they were still missing that final step.

For Shenhua, the club's official social media account released a qualification announcement on Sept. 2 and specifically thanked the traveling away supporters. One detail was notable: a Shanghai person born in Dalian, who attended primary school and preschool there and returns to Dalian every summer vacation, chose to support Shenhua in this Shanghai-Dalian clash.

This kind of cross-city fan identity is not unique, but in the context of Dalian hosting and Shenhua winning away, it points to a reality: when a team finds a way to win in cup competitions, it can bring together supporters from different backgrounds again.

According to the 2026 FA Cup rules, the champion can directly qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite, while the runner-up and semifinalists also receive corresponding points and ranking rewards. Shenhua's semifinal qualification means they still have a path toward Asian competition, a path that appeared almost closed a few weeks ago.

After Dalian Yingbo's elimination, the remaining CSL matches are their only battlefield. They are currently level on points with second and third place, and every match will directly affect the final standings.

Shenhua's FA Cup semifinal opponent and exact time will be arranged by the Chinese Football Association, and the draw results have not yet been officially announced. Dalian Yingbo will focus on collecting points in the remaining CSL schedule, with the goal of finishing in the top two. Milojovic's team must now divide an already stretched squad between cup and league competitions, while Chen Jinyi's 4-6 week absence makes left-side defensive cover a continuing problem.

Li Guoxu's team, without cup commitments, must turn their home advantage into league points and maintain the momentum from the stoppage-time equalizer against Guoan.