The Jiangsu soccer world is in a state of flux, with two teams that have amassed a 12-point lead in the remaining 13 rounds of the Chinese League One season firmly in the driver's seat. If they can avoid mistakes, the two Jiangsu giants will undoubtedly achieve their goal of going over the top.
Nantong Zhiyun's opponents in the last 3 rounds of this stage include Beijing Institute of Technology, Qingdao Hainiu and Sichuan Jiuniu. Among them, Qingdao Hainiu and Sichuan Jiuniu are also strong rivals for the Super League. If they remain undefeated in these two matches, Nantong Zhiyun is expected to lock a ticket to the Super League in advance.
Kunshan's schedule is relatively easy, and the next opponents they will face are Guangxi Pingguo Hazhong, Shanghai Jiading Huilong, and Heilongjiang Bingcheng. As long as the play is stable, Kunshan is expected to continue to consolidate its advantage in the Super League.
**The "battle of the two bulls" may become critical**
This round, Qingdao Hainiu and Shijiazhuang Kungfu had a key matchup for the Super League. After a fierce battle, Shijiazhuang Kungfu won 1-0 against Qingdao Hainiu with a goal scored by foreigner Vinicio, assisted by Wang Song. Qingdao Hainiu is still in the third place, but their advantage in the Super League is only 2 points. Coincidentally, Sichuan Jiuniu is right behind them. Next, the two teams will meet again in the 22nd round match at 15:30 on September 19th, and this 6-point matchup will influence and even determine the trend of the two teams.
Sichuan Jiuniu won this round with a 2-0 win over Beijing Institute of Technology, gaining 3 points with minimal cost. Currently, they are preparing for the crucial showdown with Qingdao Hainiu.
Shijiazhuang Kung Fu narrowed the gap to the Super League to 3 points after gaining 3 valuable points. With Qingdao Hainiu and Sichuan Jiuniu about to face each other directly, Shijiazhuang Kung Fu is expected to benefit from the situation and further improve its ranking. It is worth mentioning that Shijiazhuang Kung Fu will also face Sichuan Jiuniu in the penultimate round of this stage, and if they can win this tough battle, they are expected to continue to maintain their stance in the superhighway.
In the just-concluded match, the other favorite of the Northwest Wolves, Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic, was defeated by Suzhou Dongwu in a 0-1 blowout, leaving them with 38 points and dropping from 4th to 6th place, which obviously does not bode well for the Northwest Wolves, who need to take stock of their situation and play well in their upcoming matches.
Suzhou Dongwu, who just beat Northwestern Wolves, is a team playing with full Chinese squad and they are in the 7th place with 9 wins, 5 draws and 7 losses scoring 23 goals and conceding 20 with 32 points after 21 rounds, which is impressive.
Looking at the performance of the local players, the two local scorers, Men Yang and Tang Chuang, have been a great asset to their offense. Men Yang has scored 8 goals after helping his team beat the Northwest Wolves, and Tang Chuang also has 7 goals. About 2/3 of Suzhou Dongwu's goals have been scored by the two of them. In addition, the steady play of players such as Zhang Jingzhe, Shi Zhe, Zhang Lingfeng, and Zhou Xin has been an asset to their steady progress.
Looking at the schedule, Suzhou Dongwu has already completed two rounds against strong teams such as Nantong Zhiyun, Shijiazhuang Kungfu, Qingdao Hainiu, and Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic, and the gold content of their current record is quite high. In the next round, they will have a Jiangsu derby, a jam-packed showdown with Nanjing City, the fourth team from Jiangsu and only two points behind themselves.
**Relegation mystery to be solved **
In the much-anticipated relegation zone, the situation is still unclear. In addition to the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), which has only two points, basically locking up a relegation spot, the other two relegation spots are still very foggy.
In the just-concluded match, Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard defeated Zibo Cuju by 1-2, and the points still stayed at 11 points, ranking 17th, becoming the second relegation favorite. However, after the new manager Li Bin took office and after the summer window reinforcement, Xinjiang has made significant progress, theoretically still have relegation hope.
With 16 points, Liaoning Shenyang City is currently in 16th place, i.e. third from the bottom and in the relegation zone. However, in the last 3 rounds, they got 4 points and showed obvious signs of progress. Under the leadership of experienced manager Duan Xin, Liaoning Shenyang City will also do their best to fight for relegation.
Originally, promoted horse Guangxi Pingguo Ha Loud and Clear was ranked 15th, but they escaped the danger zone for the time being after beating another newcomer Shanghai Jiading Huilong 3-0 in this round. Beijing North Sports University, who lost 0-1 to leader Nantong Zhiyun, dropped to 15th place, and will undoubtedly feel great pressure with only 2 points ahead of the relegation zone. Similarly, Shanghai Jiading Huilong, with 19 points, and even Guangxi Pingguo Ha Loud and Clear, which has just risen to 20 points, are facing a tough situation. Next, they will fight for relegation with all their might.
