In the night of August 8, under the starlight of Beijing time, the focus of the 14th round of the 2022 season of the Central League was quietly staged. A luxury lineup of Qingdao Sea Bulls, and a Zibo Cuju team with a full Chinese class and an incomplete lineup, started a fierce Qilu derby on the land of Qilu. After 90 minutes of fierce battle, both sides 1-1 handshake, Qingdao Manatee's 5 consecutive victories came to an abrupt end, and their pace of the Super League also slowed down for the time being.
This Qilu derby was the sole focus of the Central League for the time period of the day due to its spectacle and importance, which made the match receive more attention.
On the eve of the game, many fans were convinced that Qingdao Hainiu could win easily. There are four reasons: First, the overall strength of the two teams contrast, Qingdao Hainiu has three former international players and three powerful foreign aid, and in recent times also signed Wang Jianming, Liu Jiaxun, Xu Yang and other strength players, while Zibo Cuju has been to the full Chinese class to play; Second, the Qingdao Hainiu lineup is complete, you can send the strongest lineup, while the Zibo Cuju due to unpaid wages and other issues have been punished, this time only 18 players into the big list; Third, the first round of the meeting, Zibo Cuju lineup is more complete, but the Qingdao Manatee still won 4-2; Fourth, the Qingdao Manatee's recent 5 consecutive victories, the morale is flourishing ......
However, the actual direction of the game was quite different from the expectation. In the first half, Qingdao Hainiu clearly dominated the field with its strong strength. Whether it is Xie Wenneng's dynamic breakthrough, or Onuebu's powerful shot, all pose a threat to Zibo Cuju. Zibo Cuju goalkeeper Gu Junjie performed valiantly, defusing many crises.
However, Qingdao Hainiu failed to turn their advantage into a goal as they were unable to break the deadlock after hitting the crossbar twice and the post once. On the contrary, Zibo Cuju, in the Qingdao Hainiu foreigner Guna's mistake, U21 youngster Wang Hansheng seized the opportunity, a textbook defensive counter-attack, single-handedly, to break the deadlock on the field, as if heralding the beginning of good luck.
Guna scored the equalizer with a header just before halftime, giving Qingdao Hainiu hope for a comeback.
In the second half, Qingdao Hainiu continuously replaced Zheng Long, Liu Jiaxun, Kane, Jiang Ning and Zhang Fengyu with the intention of strengthening their offense. It is worth mentioning that Liu Jiaxun, who played for Qingdao in the Chinese Super League last season, has returned home to join Qingdao Hainiu after briefly playing for Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic, the Northwest Wolves of the Central League, this season. And he's switched to the No. 9 jersey, which signifies the sharpest blade in the striker's line, after previously playing as a center back. In reality, Liu Jiaxun did appear in the offensive end many times.
However, despite this, Qingdao Hainiu failed to score again until the end of the game. In the end, the Qilu derby ended in a 1-1 draw. For Zibo Cuju, to be able to grab a point from the hands of the favorite Qingdao Hainiu, is a satisfactory result; and for the Qingdao Hainiu, the face of the strength of Zibo Cuju, but can only accept a draw, the heart is inevitably unwilling. Because it not only means losing two points, but also makes their lead with the Jiangsu duo narrow, but also gives the competitors behind them a chance to catch up.
