On the night of August, Jinan Xingzhou defeated Shijiazhuang Kungfu by a narrow 1:0 margin in a penalty shootout, reaping a long-awaited home victory. Undefeated for two consecutive matches, they finally found the confidence to win in front of strong opponents like Guangxi Pingguo Ha Rang and Shijiazhuang Kungfu. Jinan Xingzhou, who suffered three consecutive home defeats, are now back on track.
Shijiazhuang Kung Fu had won back-to-back matches before challenging Jinan Xingzhou. However, Jinan Xingzhou showed excellent defense and did not stay conservative in the face of this sizzling challenge. Newly joined foreigner Karanga earned his team a valuable penalty kick in the 74th minute with a clever break in the penalty area.
The victory certainly injected a shot in the arm for Jinan Xingzhou, allowing them to regroup after consecutive losses. From the 12th to 15th rounds of the China A-League, Jinan Xingzhou failed to win three of their four matches at home, and their only away win became their only consolation.
For Jinan Xingzhou, which is aiming for the Super League, it is obviously unacceptable to end the "rookie season" in the first half of the season with a poor record of 1 win and 3 draws. Since late July, Karanja, Park Jiajun, Qi Tianyu three Chinese super players to join, this new army of the League A on the pursuit of league results more and more urgent.
Entering the "second half" of the Chinese League, Jinan Xingzhou's performance was eye-catching. In the 16th round, they shook hands with league leader Guangxi Pingguo 0:0 at home, avoiding the embarrassment of being "double killed" by the opponent. In the 17th round, Xingzhou beat Shijiazhuang Kungfu by one goal, ushering in a long-awaited home victory.
Jinan Xingzhou's strength is expected to improve further as the game progresses. The addition of former Shenhua defender Park Jiajun will bring more stability to the team's defense. The gradual return of Qi Tianyu and Karanja to form and integration with the team will also ensure the strength of the team's front line.
Although Jinan Xingzhou is currently ranked sixth in the Central League, the difference in points between the team and the "Super League" is not large. With 12 rounds left in the league, the team does not have the possibility of realizing the "continuous jump" from the Middle B, Middle A to the Super League.
However, it all depends on how quickly the team's new recruits, especially Karanga, a foreigner who has been a dominant force even in the Chinese Super League, can integrate into the team. The key to Jinan's ability to add another Chinese Super League team will be the second half performance.
