Mourinho-Style Turmoil Continues as Shanghai Port Crush Shandong Taishan 3-0 and Return to Title Race

On the evening of September 5, 2026, Shanghai Port drew 0-0 with Beijing Guoan at home in the 26th round of the 2026 Chinese Super League season. Combined with their 3-0 away win over Shandong Taishan in the FA Cup quarterfinals on September 1, Muscat led the team to deliver results on both fronts that far exceeded expectations at the start of the season. The FA Cup semifinalists have now all been confirmed, and the battle for places among the CSL title contenders has entered an increasingly intense stage. The biggest surprise is that the Port head coach, who was surrounded by dismissal rumors just half a month ago, has now pulled the team back from the edge of the relegation zone into a dual title-contending track.

The complete FA Cup semifinal matchups have now been confirmed, with Shanghai Port facing Beijing Guoan and Dalian Yingbo Haifa meeting Yunnan Yukun. China League One sides Dalian Yingbo Haifa and Yunnan Yukun advanced together to the semifinals, breaking the long-standing pattern of CSL teams dominating the FA Cup final four. In the CSL standings, Chengdu Rongcheng currently leads with 51 points, followed by Beijing Guoan, while Qingdao West Coast sits in the top three after their previous shock 2-0 victory over Shandong Taishan. After earning a draw in this round, Shanghai Port moved into the middle of the table and completely escaped the relegation danger they faced midway through the season.

Before the FA Cup quarterfinal between Shanghai Port and Shandong Taishan ended in a 3-0 victory for Port, few expected such a dominant performance. At the halfway point of the season, Port, the CSL champions for three consecutive years, had recorded only four wins, five draws, and six losses. After deducting the five-point penalty imposed at the start of the season, their actual total was only 12 points, placing them 13th in the league and marking their worst first-half record since entering the CSL in 2013. Rumors about Muscat's dismissal were almost daily headlines in Shanghai football discussions at the time.

In the 17th minute, Port's foreign player Jean Claude capitalized on a defensive mistake by Taishan and scored with a low shot. In the 39th minute, Li Xinxiang extended the lead by finishing Wu Lei's cross. In the 72nd minute of the second half, Prince Anpehm scored in a counterattack one-on-one situation to seal the win. Port finished with 57% possession, a 16-7 advantage in shots, and an 8-2 edge in shots on target. Shandong Taishan created almost no dangerous scoring chances and were completely restricted by Port's high pressing.

The emphatic victory sent Port back into the FA Cup semifinals after two years. In a post-match interview, Muscat directly stated that the team's goal this season was to win the FA Cup title. In his first season coaching Port, he guided the team to a CSL and FA Cup double, while last season they were eliminated early from the FA Cup after a narrow one-goal defeat to Shanghai Shenhua. This season, they advanced through three rounds to reach the semifinals, showing the quality expected from a championship-winning coach.

This clean-sheet victory directly ended all rumors about Muscat's dismissal, and the decision by club management, including Sun Xiang's consistent support, received the most direct reward at this moment.

The Shanghai Port 0-0 Beijing Guoan match on the evening of September 5 was the second meeting between the two teams this season in the CSL. Their previous encounter in May ended in a 2-2 draw, with Zhang Yuning and Wu Lei each scoring once for their teams.

Both teams rotated three positions in their starting lineups to preserve energy for the upcoming FA Cup semifinal. Port goalkeeper Yan Junling started and played the full match, making several saves from Guilherme Ramos' headers. Yang Liyu's one-on-one chance in the 63rd minute was also brilliantly denied by Yan. Port had an 11-9 shot advantage and a 4-3 edge in shots on target, while Guoan held 53% possession. The two sides engaged in intense physical battles in midfield, with 27 fouls recorded during the match. No decisive scoring opportunity appeared even in stoppage time, and the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

From another perspective, the draw was an acceptable result for both teams. Neither side dropped points in a direct league title battle nor risked injuries to key players in pursuit of victory. The two teams will meet directly in the FA Cup semifinal on November 21, and this early tactical test allowed both sides to better understand their opponent's strengths and weaknesses.

Unexpectedly, Port, which was fighting relegation concerns half a season ago, can now compete evenly with league-leading Guoan in midfield battles. Muscat's in-game adjustments were fully displayed in this match. In the 67th minute, he brought on two defensive midfielders at the same time, cutting off Guoan's central attacking routes and safely protecting the draw until the final whistle.

Earlier in the same CSL round, Qingdao West Coast defeated Shandong Taishan 2-0 at home, producing the biggest upset of the round. After being shut out 3-0 by Port in the FA Cup, Taishan then lost in the league to mid-table Qingdao West Coast, and their consecutive setbacks on two fronts have virtually ended their title hopes. Taishan had 62% possession but managed only seven shots and one shot on target, showing extremely poor attacking efficiency.

Meanwhile, Chengdu Rongcheng defeated Chongqing Tongliang Long 3-1 at home and continued to firmly hold first place in the standings. Their away record this season has reached eight wins and two draws, making them the strongest away team in the CSL. Several teams previously stuck in the relegation zone also collected points this round. Liaoning Ironman defeated Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 2-1, moving up to 12th place and moving completely away from the relegation zone.

From the dramatic fall of a three-time defending champion at the start of the season, to sitting 13th and near relegation at the halfway point, and now reaching the title race on two fronts, Muscat completed an almost impossible turnaround in less than two months. His lineup decisions and in-game adjustments have regained the recognition of all Port supporters, and club management has clearly signaled that he will remain in charge next season. Fans who previously called for his dismissal are now looking forward to him leading the team to win this season's FA Cup title.

The drama of professional football has been fully reflected in Shanghai Port's season. Few stories are more exciting than a team climbing back from the depths and returning to the doorstep of a final. Port is no longer associated with relegation battles, and this team that has rediscovered its attacking rhythm has become one of the strongest contenders for this season's FA Cup championship.