Analysis of Qingdao's prospects for the play-offs
January 4, Beijing time.
China Super League (soccer league)
The league's relegation group has come to an end, with Dalian and Qingdao coming out on top to play a playoff for the final chance at relegation. Qingdao's local media outlet, Peninsula.com, provided an in-depth analysis of the play-off, noting that Qingdao did not show a clear advantage over Central League One rivals Zhejiang, despite being in Chinese Super League (CSL) uniforms.
Looking back at Qingdao's season, they had suffered 11 consecutive defeats in the middle of the season, locking up the bottom of the table in the early rounds, and the team's morale suffered a serious blow. Although Qingdao rotated and brought in younger players for the match against Dalian, the injury problem remained serious. With injuries to Vukovic and Alessandrini, Radonic's unauthorized departure due to a contract extension, and newcomer Badu's lack of form, Qingdao is at a disadvantage in their lineup.
It's worth mentioning that Zhejiang's head coach, Jiao Di, was once the coach of Qingdao Yellow Sea's Super League team and knows Qingdao like the back of his hand. This time, when they fight their old masters again, Qiaodi may have revenge in his heart. In addition, Qingdao's team has been playing continuously and has suffered a great deal of physical exertion, while Zhejiang's team has been resting for more than a week and is in good shape. Under such a comparison, Qingdao's relegation prospect is not optimistic.
Peninsula concluded that despite being a Chinese Super League team, Qingdao had no significant advantage over a highly-motivated Zhejiang team.
