In a report on October 27, Soccer Daily revealed that Dalian Yingbo is firmly in the lead in the Chinese Super League.
In the penultimate round of the Central League season, Yingbo is in second place with 54 points, just behind Guangzhou with 49 points, and the two teams are in a fierce battle for promotion. In this round of matches, if Yingbo can beat Yukun on the road, it is expected to lock up a win in the early round.
Despite Yukon's early win, the Imbo team still tried the 541 formation but failed to turn the situation around. In the first half, Yingbo was down 0-2. In the second half, Li sent Sun Platinum and Kotelnik to replace Jin Pengxiang and Yan Xianggong, and the team returned to the 442 formation, but Zhu Pengyu, Wang Xuanhong and Fei Yu's debut could not break the deadlock. In the end, the Yingbo team was defeated by Yukun team 0-2.
Meanwhile, Guangzhou beat Yanbian Longding 3-1 at home, and the points of Imbo team stayed at 54 points, while Guangzhou's points rose to 52 points. From the 21st round to the 29th round, the results of Yingbo team fluctuated significantly, which was closely related to the mentality of the players and the pressure they were under. Coach Li Guoxu said, "Pressure always follows us. We must learn to withstand pressure if we want to achieve our goals."
In the final match, Team Imbo will face Shanghai Jiading Huilong at home, while Team Guangzhou will challenge Nanjing on the road, both teams have been relegated early. A last minute win over Jiading Huilong would give the team the final spot in the Super League, eliminating the need to keep an eye on Guangzhou. If Yingbo fails to win, they will have to hope that Guangzhou cannot overtake them; conversely, if Guangzhou wins, Yingbo will face defeat. It is worth noting that if both teams have 55 points, Imbo will be at a disadvantage as they will suffer a double kill from Guangzhou this season.
Facing the last game and the possibility of going beyond, captain Xiao Qiang said: "The initiative is still in our hands. If we can beat Jiading Huilong, we can also go beyond. We are full of confidence. We will not think about the Yukun team's game and will fully prepare for the next game and go all out in pursuit of our goal." Coach Li Guoxu added: "Our ultimate goal is to get three points and keep the initiative firmly in our hands."
