On the evening of August 5, Jinan Xingzhou earned a long-awaited home win by defeating Shijiazhuang Kung Fu 1:0 on penalties. Jinan Xingzhou remained undefeated in their last two matches, facing super favorites Guangxi Pingguo Ha Rang and Shijiazhuang Kungfu. Jinan Xingzhou, who previously suffered three consecutive losses at home, are finally back on track.
Shijiazhuang Kung Fu had won seven consecutive matches before facing Jinan Xingzhou. Jinan Xingzhou defended well and didn't play conservatively against a fiery opponent. New foreigner Karanga created a penalty kick in the 74th minute from a penalty area attack.
Such a win is certainly a huge boost to the morale of Jinan Xingzhou, which has suffered a number of losses recently. From China A Round 12 to Round 15, Jinan Xingzhou played three home games out of four. This was a good opportunity to chase points. Unfortunately, Xingzhou didn't get a single point in any of the three home games, but they did win their only away game.
For the aspiring super-expansion of the Xingzhou, with a poor record of 1 win and 3 draws to end the first half of the "rookie season" of the Central League is obviously unacceptable. From the late July Karanja, Park Jiajun, Qi Tianyu three Chinese Super League players to join, we can also see this new army of the League A on the pursuit of league results.
And into the "second half" of the League, Jinan Xingzhou's opening performance is gratifying. In the 16th round of the League, Xingzhou home game 0:0 tenacious equalized the Guangxi Pingguo in the league leader, avoiding the league by the other side of the "double kill". In the 17th round of the league, Xingzhou beat Shijiazhuang Kungfu by one goal and tasted the home victory after a long time.
Expectedly, Xingzhou's strength is expected to improve further as the game progresses. The addition of former Shenhua defender Park Jiajun will further improve the stability of the team's defense. Meanwhile, the gradual return to form of Qi Tianyu and Karanga to gel with the team also ensures the strength of the team's forward line.
Although Jinan Xingzhou is currently ranked sixth in the Central League, the point gap with the "Super League" is not big. With 12 rounds left in the league, the team does not have the possibility of realizing the "continuous jump" from Central B, Central A to the Super League.
Of course, it all depends on the new additions to the team, especially Karanga, a dominant foreigner even in the Chinese Super League, to integrate with the team as soon as possible, and on the unity and cooperation of all the soldiers of Jinan Xingzhou. The key to whether Jinan can add another Chinese Super League team is the second half.
