The Chengdu soccer team showed strong fighting spirit in the adversity of the manager's absence. Romulo's precise free kick and Zhou Dingyang's header helped the team beat the 14th-ranked Nantong Zhiyun by a narrow margin of 1:0. Three consecutive wins in the Chinese Super League, just like a tiger that breaks out of the ground, stirring up the league and posing a great challenge to the two Shanghai powerhouses in their quest for the title.
Zhejiang took on 15th-ranked Meizhou Hakka with a vengeance, scoring three goals in just four minutes to catch their opponents off-guard. Leonardo's shot reappeared, Evra broke the net, and Cheng Jin added the icing on the cake. The 4:0 scoreline put Meizhou's relegation in jeopardy, and Zhejiang's sixth place in the standings.
The hosts, No. 3 Manatees, opened the scoring with a free kick from Alan, then fought back with all their might, with Boakyeme firing twice in the first half and Diego striking the final blow to turn back Qingdao Derby 3-1 and win the crucial three points. The table jumped to 11th place, and the relegation situation is great. However, the West Coast team is still deep in the relegation quagmire.
The battle between Guoan and Wuhan Sanzhen ended with 10 men against 10 men, Guoan lost 2:10 and played the role of "sending warmth" again. Deng Hanwen and Mamadou were sent off with red cards for flying fouls, and Guoan fell behind 0:2, while Liu Yue of Sanzhen counterattacked to extend the score. Guoan had 26 shots on goal, but Fabio's header saved some face, Guoan is still in fourth place, but the gap with Chengdu has reached 4 points.
The match between Changchun Yatai and Tianjin Jinmen Tigers was very intense, both sides had their own performance in the half time, and finally shook hands 2:2. Tianjin Jinmen Tiger Ademi had two assists, Kong Panio and Wang Qiuming scored twice in a row to give Jinmen Tiger a 2:0 lead. In the second half, Yatai made an effort, Zhang Yufeng and Belichick scored a goal each, Yatai continuously chased the equalizer, but Serginho's penalty kick hit the post, the two teams finally drew 2:2.
Xie Hui's coaching talent has been recognized once again, with only 3 defeats in 13 matches in charge of Yatai. He led the team to victory over Guoan, drew Taishan, Jinmen Tigers and many other strong teams, showing the maturity of the team's tactics.
The relegation showdown between Cangzhou Lions and Shenzhen Xinpengcheng ended in a 1-1 draw, with Cangzhou winning their 12-game relegation battle. First-half errors from Ewell and New Pengcheng defender Hu Ruibao were followed by a header from Li Zhi to equalize as the two teams skated on thin ice in their fight for relegation.
This round of the Chinese Super League has both fierce competition between strong teams and tenacious struggle between weak teams. The competition between champions and relegation is getting more and more intense, which reflects the improvement of the overall level of the Chinese Super League and the narrowing of the gap between the strength of the middle and lower relegation teams.
