On the night of Sunday, September 24th, at 19:35, a match of destiny will take place at the Qingdao Youth Football Stadium. Qingdao Hainiu, a newly promoted team, will welcome Nantong Zhiyun, who also has a dream, at home. Before the match, the club has made a detailed announcement about the tickets for this match.
In the table, Qingdao Hainiu ranked 13th with 23 points, while Nantong Zhiyun ranked 14th with 19 points, only 5 points and 1 point ahead of the relegation zone. Six points are crucial in this relegation battle.
Nantong Zhiyun and Qingdao Hainiu have long been familiar with each other as they have fought side by side in the Central League. This season, the two teams met twice in the league and the AFC Cup. Nantong Zhiyun took a 1-0 lead thanks to Wang Song's strike, while Qingdao Hainiu advanced to the AFC Cup with a 3-0 comeback on the road thanks to goals from Saric and Ma Xingyu.
Now, the two teams meet again. Qingdao Hainiu, playing at home, is aiming for three points to secure their relegation status. Nantong Zhiyun, on the other hand, is on the verge of relegation and is even more eager to win. The battle is about to start.
In the current situation, Qingdao Hainiu has the upper hand. Nantong Zhiyun was eliminated from the F.A.C.A. Cup and won at home against Changchun Yatai, while Nantong Zhiyun suffered three consecutive defeats. Only one point ahead of Dalian, Nantong Zhiyun's relegation pressure is self-evident.
It is worth mentioning that Qingdao Hainiu had 9 days of rest after the match in Shandong Taishan, while Nantong Zhiyun had only 7 days of rest in the match against Chengdu Rongcheng. In terms of physical fitness, Qingdao Hainiu obviously has more advantages.
If Qingdao Hainiu can win this game, they will be 7 points ahead of Nantong Zhiyun, basically locking up the relegation. If Nantong Zhiyun can beat their opponents, they will only be 1 point behind, and the situation will become more tense.
This is Qingdao Hainiu's penultimate home relegation game of the season, and with the extra long wait, the Youth Football Stadium will be buzzing with excitement. Let's wait and see where the match goes.
