The 17th round of the 2023 China League 1 has been completed, with eight fierce battles making the situation between the Super League and relegation more and more confusing.
In a marquee match, Qingdao West Coast beat a Super League team led by a number of internationals, including Hong Kong Chinese Crossover An Yongjia, Zhao Xuri, Jin Pengxiang and Li Xuepeng, by a score of 2-0 at home. Dalian Shide, led by ex-Beijing Guoan decorated foreign aid player Jangovic, won two consecutive matches against strong opponents, while Guangxi Pingguo Ha Rang lost for two consecutive rounds and won only one match in the last six rounds.
Affected by the financial problems of parent company Evergrande, Sichuan Jiuniu was on the verge of collapse when they easily beat Guangzhou 2-0 at home.
The top three in China's first division are currently tied on 33 points, with Qingdao West Coast leading the way, Guangxi Pingguo Ha Rang dropping to second, and Sichuan Jiuniu rising to third. Shijiazhuang Kung Fu's 0-1 defeat away to promotion rival Jinan Xingzhou saw their seven-game winning streak come to an abrupt end, dropping them to fourth place with 32 points.
Meanwhile, Nanjing City managed to close the gap on their opponents at home. Dongguan United, led by Feng Xiaoting (out due to injury) and Zhao Mingjian, beat the fifth-ranked team 2-1 at home.
Jinan Xingzhou won a small victory at home, sixth in the table, saw the hope of impact on the Chinese Super League. Heilongjiang Bingcheng defeated Jiangxi Lushan 1-2 at home and ranked seventh with 25 points, still in a state of no desire.
Suzhou Dongwu drew 1-1 away to Liaoning Shenyang City and ranked eighth with 23 points. Yanbian Longding drew 0-0 at home with Dandong Tengyue, and ranked ninth with 22 points, one point each in the Northeast Derby of the Central League. Dongguan United ranked tenth with 21 points.
Dandong Tengyue are unbeaten in two rounds and are 11th with 19 points, while Liaoning Shenyang City are 12th with 18 points. guangzhou have suffered two consecutive defeats and four rounds without a win, and are 13th with 17 points. three winless teams feel the threat of relegation, and the group of relegated teams in China's first division instantly widens!
Shanghai Jiading Huilong beat Wuxi Wuhu 2-1 at home, with Dalian youngsters Yang Lin and Liu Yujian as coach and assistant coach, for their second consecutive victory and five rounds of unbeaten games, with 11 points and third from bottom (14th) in the points table.
Jiangxi Lushan ended a four-game losing streak and earned their second win in eight rounds of the Central League, finishing second from bottom with 14 points. Only one goal away from Guangzhou and Shanghai Jiading Huilong, could jump out of the relegation zone at any time.
Wuxi Wu Hook has lost seven consecutive games and is still struggling to win, remaining at the bottom of the table with three points and relegation is a certainty.
The situation in the Central League is extremely chaotic, with five teams at the top of the table vying for two places in the Premier League, and the sixth-placed team also raring to go. The five teams at the bottom of the table are fighting for relegation. Let's wait and see what the final result will be!
