Now, the Jiangsu duo is firmly in the lead of the Super League, with a 12-point advantage, and despite the fact that there are still 13 rounds left to play in the Chinese League, they are already firmly in control of the Super League initiative. As long as they are careful in the remaining journey, the two Jiangsu teams are expected to realize their dream of going to the Super League.
Nantong Zhiyun's opponents in the next three rounds are Beijing Institute of Technology, Qingdao Hainiu and Sichuan Jiuniu. Among them, Qingdao Hainiu and Sichuan Jiuniu are also the rivals on the way to the Super League. If they can remain undefeated in the next two games, Nantong Zhiyun will most likely lock a ticket to the Super League in advance.
In comparison, Kunshan is facing a relatively easy schedule, their next opponents are all teams in the lower part of the table - Guangxi Pingguo Hazhong, Shanghai Jiading Huilong and Heilongjiang Bingcheng. As long as they keep playing steadily, Kunshan is expected to continue to expand their advantage in the Super League.
Two powerhouses face off to influence the Super League landscape
In this round, Qingdao Hainiu and Shijiazhuang Kungfu had a key match for the Super League. After a fierce battle, Shijiazhuang Kungfu won 1-0 against Qingdao Hainiu with an assist from former international soccer player Wang Song and a goal from foreign aid player Vinicio. Although Qingdao Hainiu is still in the third place, but the advantage of the Super League is only 2 points. Coincidentally, Sichuan Jiuniu is right behind them. The two teams will meet again in the crucial 22nd round match at 15:30 on September 19th for the second round. This 6-point battle for the top spot will have a significant impact on the teams' progress towards the Super League.
Sichuan Jiuniu won 3 points in this round with a 2-0 win over Beijing Polytechnic with minimal cost. Currently, they are preparing for the crucial match against Qingdao Hainiu.
Shijiazhuang Kung Fu narrowed the gap to the super zone to three points after getting the valuable three points. In the direct match between Qingdao Hainiu and Sichuan Jiuniu, they are expected to win and further improve their ranking. It is worth mentioning that Shijiazhuang Kung Fu will face Sichuan Jiuniu in the penultimate round of this stage, and if they can win this crucial battle, they are expected to continue the momentum of the Super League.
In the just-concluded match, Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic, another favorite for the Super League, suffered a 0-1 blowout loss to Suzhou Dongwu, leaving them with 38 points and dropping from fourth to sixth in the rankings. This is certainly an unfavorable signal. If the Northwest Wolves don't want to fall behind in the race for the Super League, they need to seriously summarize their experience and play the next matches well.
No foreign aid lineup, showing strength
Suzhou Dongwu, who just beat Northwest Wolves, is a unique team as they are playing with a full Chinese squad. After 21 rounds of matches, they are in the seventh place with 9 wins, 5 draws, 7 losses, 23 goals scored, 20 goals conceded and 32 points, which is really impressive.
Looking at the performance of the local players, the excellent play of the two local scorers, Men Yang and Tang Chuang, has been a boon to their offense. Men Yang scored eight goals after helping his team beat the Northwest Wolves with an extra point, and Tang Chuang also scored seven goals. About two-thirds of Suzhou Dongwu's goals have been scored by the two of them. In addition, the steady play of players such as Zhang Jingzhe, Shi Zhe, Zhang Lingfeng and Zhou Xin has been the key to their steady progress.
Looking at the schedule, Suzhou Dongwu's current record carries quite a bit of gold after already completing two rounds against strong teams such as Nantong Zhiyun, Shijiazhuang Kungfu, Qingdao Hainiu, and Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic. In the next round, they will have a Jiangsu derby and a showdown with Nanjing City, the fourth team from Jiangsu and with only two points less than themselves.
Relegation suspense, a mystery to be solved
In the much-anticipated relegation zone, the situation is still unclear. In addition to the Beijing Institute of Technology, which has two points, basically locking up a relegation place, the other two relegation places belong to, is still in the fog.
In the latest match, Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard defeated Zibo Cuju 1-2, and the points stayed at 11 points, ranked 17th, and became the second favorite for relegation. However, after new manager Li Bin took office, after the summer window reinforcement, Xinjiang team has been significantly improved. With 13 rounds left in the league, theoretically they still have hope of relegation.
With 16 points, Liaoning Shenyang City is currently in 16th place, i.e. third from the bottom, and in the relegation zone. However, in the last three rounds, they got 4 points and showed obvious signs of progress. Under the leadership of experienced manager Duan Xin, Liaoning Shenyang City will also do their best to fight for relegation.
Originally ranked 15th, promoted horse Guangxi Pingguo Hazhong temporarily escaped the relegation zone after a 3-0 win over another newcomer, Shanghai Jiading Huilong. And 0-1 defeat leader Nantong Zhiyun Beijing North Sports University, but fell to the 15th, in only 2 points ahead of the relegation zone, Beijing North Sports University undoubtedly also feel the enormous pressure. Similarly, Shanghai Jiading Huilong, with 19 points, and Guangxi Pingguo Ha Loud and Clear, which has just risen to 20 points, are facing a tough relegation situation. Next, they will do their best to fight for relegation.
