Source: China News Network
With the leader Shanghai Port losing consecutive losses and relegation zone Nantong Zhiyun and Dalian people both winning, the suspense of this season's Chinese Super League championship and relegation was "let back".
But for fans, it's a fierce picture they'd love to see.
Is this still a bellwether?
Fast forward to the 21st round of the Chinese Super League, when Shanghai Port was 14 points ahead of second-placed Shanghai Shenhua and as many as 17 points ahead of fourth-placed Shandong Taishan, almost no one doubted the title of ownership.
But after just three rounds, the second place in the league changed to Shandong Taishan, leaving Shanghai Port with a nine-point lead.
In the last three rounds, Shandong Taishan won all the matches, while Shanghai Port drew 1 and lost 2, plus a 2-3 home defeat to Thai side Pathum United in the AFC Champions League play-off.
And Meizhou Hakka, who drew 1:1 at home in their league, and Henan, who lost 1:3 away in this round, are both relegation teams...
Not only is it not smooth in the venue, but also the turmoil outside the Shanghai Port is one after another.
After the unexpected absence of the AFC Champions League main match, Shanghai Port manager Javier's already shaky position became even more shaky.
The team's midfielder Cai Huikang taunted the fans after the AFC Champions League play-off defeat, saying that the fans in the stands with their backs to them may be checking the light bulbs, and the fans who shouted for the head coach to leave the class can come to the club to apply, etc., which caused extreme anger among Shanghai Port fans.
Under the turmoil, it was not until the 1:3 defeat to Henan in this round that Shanghai Port issued an announcement, fining Cai Huikang 200,000 yuan, ordering a profound review and a public apology on social media.
The chaotic Shanghai Port inside and outside the stadium does not look like the leader of the Chinese Super League at all. However, this can be regarded as leaving a bit of suspense for this season's Chinese Super League championship and adding a lot of highlights.
Relegation into a "two-person turn"
The suspense of the championship group is still in suspense, and the relegation group, which has been in deep trouble this season, is still difficult to give up.
In this round, Nantong Zhiyun lost the game with the first goal away and lost 2:4 to Wuhan Three Towns, while Dalian Renren lost 0:3 away to Zhejiang.
The two teams have a similar record recently, with Dalian Renren 5-2-3 and Nantong Zhiyun 1 win, 2 draws and 2 losses. At present, Nantong Zhiyun is 1 point ahead of the second-to-last Dalian people. Bottom-placed Shenzhen have 12 points, and due to the team's survival, they have basically no hope of relegation.
After defeating Changchun Yatai 1-0 in this round, the Qingdao Manatee team in the relegation zone reached 23 points, 5 points ahead of the second-to-last Dalian people, and they still have a lot of advantage in the relegation group in terms of overall squad strength and survival.
The other two relegation group teams, Henan and Meizhou Hakka, have scored 28 and 26 points respectively, which are basically close to the relegation "landing".
Will there be surprises?
Compared to previous seasons, the championship battle this season is not too fierce. Like the 2018 season and the 2019 season, although the Guangzhou team is in full swing, when the league reaches 24 rounds, there are still 2-3 teams left who have a chance to compete for the championship, and the point difference is not too big.
But now the Chinese Super League has become a unique Shanghai port, and Oscar, one of the few big foreign players in the Chinese Super League, as well as Wu Lei, Jiang Guangtai and other international players, let them have a fault strength advantage.
Among other traditional strong teams, Shandong Taishan was affected by objective factors and was not in good shape at the beginning of the season. Beijing Guoan is in a period of alternation between the old and the new, gradually returning to the right track after the new manager Suarez took over. Shanghai Shenhua is limited by the strength of the lineup and does not have the ability to impact the championship. Under such circumstances, Shanghai Port was stunned to "let go" the championship suspense back.
With the remaining 6 rounds of matches, because Shanghai Port was out of the FA Cup and failed to reach the main stage of the AFC Champions League, only the league played in a single line, which has a certain advantage over Shandong Taishan, which will take into account the FA Cup and the AFC Champions League.
Coupled with a 9-point advantage, Shanghai Port still has a considerable margin of error, even if it loses the subsequent 6-point battle with Shandong Taishan, there is still a 6-point advantage. What matters is whether the Shanghai Port can regain its status after returning from the hiatus.
As for the relegation team, Nantong Zhiyun and Dalian Renren are the most lackluster teams in attack this season, scoring only 20 goals, one goal less than the bottom-placed Shenzhen team. In the remaining 6 rounds, whoever can grasp the opportunity better will have more vitality.
In contrast, Nantong Zhiyun has a more favorable schedule, with four home games left and Dalian Renren with only two home games left.
Affected by the transfer ban and survival situation this season, Dalian Renren team has lost many main players and cannot be recruited, whether it is foreign aid or local players.
After the loss to Zhejiang, Dalian coach Xie Hui admitted that the team's ability to seize opportunities is still lacking, and in terms of mentality, many players have not experienced relegation battles, and the team needs to unite to get through the difficult period.
Although it is only 1 point away from Nantong Zhiyun, based on various objective circumstances, Dalian people may need a miracle if they want to turn over and relegate. (End)