Qingdao West Coast, sitting on the second place of the season, is only three points ahead after two rounds of fierce battles, and the pressure is on them like a tidal wave. When they host Suzhou Dongwu, their only hope is to get all three points and secure their advantage. If not, this may be the turning point of their season. Once they are pushed out of the lead, the road back will be out of reach. For this reason, Qingdao West Coast will have to prepare for the match, even with Ramirez out of action due to injury. Fortunately, coach Jankovic will end his suspension and return to command the team.
Meanwhile, third-placed Nanjing City will welcome Jinan Xingzhou. It's a crucial battle for 6 points, and a win will ensure that they don't drop down the ranks and continue to put pressure on the super zone. There is no chance of Jinan Xingzhou overtaking them, and whether they will go all out to stop Nanjing City may depend on their mood.
Shijiazhuang Kung Fu, another team that is expected to overtake them, has been slowed down by their recent four draws. If they want to keep catching up, they must beat Heilongjiang Bingcheng in this round. Otherwise, they will basically be out of the competition. Heilongjiang Bingcheng, who have won six consecutive matches after completing their relegation task, will find it difficult to come back from their away match against Shijiazhuang Kungfu.
The fifth-ranked Guangxi Pingguo Hanyin team, despite being seven points behind the super zone, basically has no chance to overtake. However, they will still strive for three points in this round's match against Dongguan Union in a bid to improve their ranking and gain more advantages.
In the relegation zone, in addition to Wuxi Wu Hook's away challenge to Sichuan Jiuniu, Jiangxi Lushan will also start a life-and-death duel with Shanghai Jiading Huilong, who have seven more points. For Jiangxi Lushan team, only all three points to have hope of relegation. Once lost, not only will be three rounds early for the opponent relegation, but also may be relegated early. Because Dandong Tengyue is also expected to get three points in the away game, and has been relegated early Guangzhou team. Once Dandong Tengyue win, Jiangxi Lushan and Wuxi Wuhu will face the fate of relegation three rounds early.
