“We had some problems before the game as our regular strikers were not fit to play the full 90 minutes. We opted for a younger forward (Liu Chengyu) and tweaked the formation,” said Slutsky.

After a listless opening 76 minutes, it was Kota Takai’s own goal that gave Shenhua the advantage and momentum to claim the win.

“I’m very satisfied, because I think it was a very solid game from our side. We had a good balance between attack and defence, and we kept the high level of intensity. I understand this is not the end, but in any case, we have a chance, and we will prepare for the next game.”

Defeat left a bitter aftertaste for Kawasaki Frontale head coach Shigetoshi Hasebe.

“It wasn’t a disappointing result. Until the moment we conceded, we were creating chances and trying to find opportunities within the flow of the game,” said Hasebe.

“That’s how I see it. But conceding at that point made things even more difficult for the remaining 90 minutes.”