In the 39th round of the Spanish Segunda División, Leganés fell 1-2 to Racing Santander, but Shenhua’s loaned forward, Azoué, came off the bench to score a goal. This season, he has made 13 appearances in the Segunda División, starting just two, and has netted two goals—a respectable rate given his limited playing time. How far Shanghai Shenhua can go in the latter half of the season will heavily depend on Azoué’s form. He doesn’t need time to adjust to the team, having previously made 15 appearances for Shenhua after joining last year, scoring five goals and providing one assist, proving his capability.
Before the Chinese Super League summer transfer window opens, Shanghai Shenhua still has four league matches to play. Azoué’s season in the Segunda División ends on June 1, and he is expected to rejoin Shenhua. If all goes smoothly, his earliest possible appearance for the club could be on June 28 in an away game against Dalian Yingbo. With just four more matches, Shenhua can once again field a full five-foreigner lineup. Although Azoué’s performance last season started strong but faded, any available foreigner is better than playing with fewer options. Even if his form isn’t outstanding, he offers more impact than young Liu Chengyu, especially in terms of physicality and drive.
Shenhua has had a tough run in May, recording just one draw and two losses in three games without a win. The situation worsened with Teixeira suffering a muscle strain, Mineiro still unavailable, and Manafa’s reckless behavior earning him a red card. On May 16 at 20:00, in the 12th round of the CSL, Shenhua will travel to face Yunnan Yukun away. Playing at high altitude with only one foreigner—Latang—available, securing three points will be a major challenge. Given both teams’ attacking styles, an open, end-to-end match is expected, with neither side likely to play conservatively.
Yunnan Yukun has been playing an expansive style under coach Jordi, scoring 23 goals in 11 matches but also conceding 20. Shenhua, under Slutsky, has never adopted a defensive approach. In their previous game, they fought back from 0-2 down to draw 2-2, with Zhu Chenjie scoring two headers. After the Yunnan match, Shenhua will host Wuhan Three Towns and Shenzhen Xin Pengcheng, both of which are prime opportunities for wins. The team must endure this period of personnel shortages until the summer window opens.
Last season, Shenhua’s veteran duo, including Yu Hanchao, saw Yu retire and join the coaching staff. Wu Xi’s contract expires at the end of this year. Speaking about his future, Wu Xi stated, “For now and next year, I’ll focus on the pitch. I feel I can still contribute more to the team.” This indicates he will extend his contract for at least another year. At 37, Wu Xi has started all 10 CSL matches this season, taking on the midfield burden in the absence of Teixeira and Li Ke, shouldering both creative and defensive responsibilities.
