During the recent international break, Shandong Luneng originally planned to hold a training camp overseas. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the team shifted their plans back to China. According to the initial schedule, Luneng was set to play a closed-door friendly against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on the 25th at their training base. Unfortunately, heavy rain in Jinan forced the match to be canceled.
Across three warm-up games, Luneng recorded one draw and two losses. Of the four goals conceded, three came from counterattacks, highlighting a recurring issue the team must urgently address—how to limit opponents’ fast breaks when their own offensive efforts fall short. Ahead of the league’s restart, Luneng has one more friendly lined up, this time against China League One contenders Yongchang on July 1. A crucial FA Cup match is scheduled for July 8.
Brazilian forward Diego Tardelli has rejoined the squad but wasn’t fully fit to play against Jeonbuk, which partially explains the team’s lack of attacking output. In an effort to improve match sharpness and training quality, Luneng invited both Jeonbuk and Incheon United from South Korea to Jinan for a series of friendlies.
The choice of opponents was deliberate—Jeonbuk is one of the top clubs in the K League and a consistent powerhouse in Asian football, while Incheon United represents a mid-to-lower-tier side. Luneng arranged to face each team twice in friendly matches.
On May 21, Luneng first played Incheon United at the main stadium. In the first half, Luneng fielded their full-strength starting lineup and took a 1-0 lead. In the second half, they rotated the squad extensively. Surprisingly, under the leadership of midfielders Zhou Haibin and Li Wei, Luneng ramped up the pressure. Still, Incheon capitalized on a corner kick and a swift counter to turn the score around and win 2-1.
Against Jeonbuk, Luneng started aggressively, pushing players forward, but their backline faltered. The first goal came when Jeonbuk striker Adriano dribbled past defenders Liu Junshuai and Gil before scoring into the bottom corner. The second was a classic offside trap breakaway, finished clinically in a one-on-one. Jeonbuk also rattled the crossbar with a direct free kick.
In the second half, Luneng made tactical adjustments, introducing Liu Yang, Liu Binbin, and Yao Junsheng. Li Wei’s powerful long shot hit the crossbar, and a one-on-one opportunity by Cissé was denied by Jeonbuk’s keeper. Despite the pressure, Luneng fell 2-0 to Jeonbuk.
It’s worth noting that Jeonbuk’s lineup was far from full strength. Three key players were away on World Cup duty, and two U-23 players were with the national Olympic squad. Several injuries also left the K League champions with a half-strength team.
Luneng’s starting lineup featured: goalkeeper Han Rongze; defenders Song Long, Gil, Liu Junshuai, and Wang Tong; defensive midfielder Hao Junmin; midfield trio Wu Xinghan, Jin Jingdao, and Zhou Haibin; and forwards Graziano Pellè and Papiss Cissé.
After the main fixture, the two sides played an additional training match at the base, which ended in a goalless 0-0 draw. According to Crickex App, Luneng’s preparations are still in progress, and the team is hoping to find its rhythm ahead of the intense fixtures ahead. As the saying goes, “fail to prepare, prepare to fail”—and Luneng knows there’s no room for error as competitive play resumes.