Zhang Xizhe was suspended, Dalian hit the wall head on, Xie Hui's defense was rock solid, and Manzocchi showed his skills.
Dalian faced a strong Beijing Guoan in what was seen as a tough matchup. But the FA suddenly imposed a seven-match ban on Zhang Xizhe, seemingly giving Dalian a chance. Guoan, though without Zhang Xizhe, issued a strong statement expressing their dissatisfaction with the punishment, vowing to fight for Zhang Xizhe, which made Dalian unfortunate to hit an iron wall.
Dalian is desperate for a win and needs all three points in four rounds of league matches. Nantong Zhiyun's schedule looks better, but they must take the initiative themselves. Dalian people know that the past meetings with Guoan are in the past, the last three undefeated, but Guoan is showing a passive trend.
After the rotation of FA Cup, Dalian people are fighting for points with all their strength. The Asian Games team succeeded in advancing to the last eight, and Wang Zhen'ao, He Yupeng, and Huang Jiahui will delay their return. Xie Hui's tactics are also being adjusted. Before Laureus' suspension, Wang Xianjun and Wang Yaopeng performed well as center backs. The Dalian man is expected to use this pairing again, while Guoan's offense relies mainly on Abreu and Jiang Xiangyou. Compared to Shandong Taishan, Guoan may be easier to attack.
Dalian people recently lack of offensive power, all rely on the defense to stabilize, but too much pressure on the defense is prone to problems. Many times this season, the defense test, let the opponent in the key moment to score, both physical reasons, but also the overall strength of Dalian is limited.
Manzocchi's only goal since joining Dalian Ren came against Guoan. With Lin Liangming struggling to make a comeback, Manzocchi had to rely on headers as his stopping was poor. The first two goals were scored by He Yupeng and Lv Peng. Now that He Yupeng is at the Asian Games, the problem of passing is yet to be solved, and Dalian has a low success rate of close-range passing, coupled with a lack of high points in the penalty area.
Despite losing to Shandong Taishan in the semifinals of the AFC Cup, Dalian emerged as a newcomer, with Lv Zhuo Yi and Chen Rong making eye-catching performances on the sidelines. Xie Hui adjusted the lineup for each game, and previously selected Shan Huanhuan and Yan Xiangguan faced their old masters. If they can score in the game, they are expected to fight against Guoan next season; otherwise, the risk of relegation may increase. But Nantong Zhiyun still have hope of winning afterward.
