On May 12, Beijing time, the 11th round of the Chinese Super League continued, and the Cangzhou Lions hosted the Zhejiang team. In the pre-game standings, the Cangzhou Lions were seventh and the Zhejiang team was eighth, with only one point difference between the two sides. After 90 minutes of competition, the Cangzhou Lions lost 0-1 to the Zhejiang team.
Although the Cangzhou Lions are ranked higher than the Zhejiang team, in terms of strength on paper, the Zhejiang team has the upper hand. After all, the Zhejiang team is the third place winner for two consecutive seasons, and it also experienced the baptism of the AFC Champions League last year. However, since April, the Zhejiang team has been in a sluggish state, losing 5 of the last 7 league games, and losing to Shanghai Shenhua by 4 goals in the last round. In contrast, the Cangzhou Lions' style of play is more practical, they are based on defensive counterattacks, and they are the team with the lowest conversion rate in the Super League, ranking once in the top four. However, the Cangzhou Lions have only scored 1 point in the last 4 rounds, that is, the draw against Meizhou Hakka in the last round. In this battle, both sides are determined to win.
In terms of starters, the Cangzhou Lions four foreign aides appeared, with Oscar, Otabor, and Ewell trident in front, Su Zu leading the three central defenders in the backfield, and the midfielders and wingbacks are all local players, Zheng Kaimu played, and Shao Puliang guarded the goal; On the Zhejiang team's side, Leonardo charged with a single arrow, Frank served as the front midfielder, Cheng Jin and Owusu flew together, Li Titian and Qian Jie partnered in the back, Liu Haofan, Lucas, Liang Nuoheng, Wang Dongsheng formed the back line, and the goalkeeper was Dong Chunyu.
In the first half, Frank volleyed a volley early in the game, and then Oscar countered with a long-range shot back to color. But as the game deepened, the Zhejiang team dominated the field, with seven or three open possession, and the number of shots Zhejiang team was overwhelming, with nearly 20 shots on goal at halftime, of which the two closest chances to score came from Cheng Jin. One was in the 11th minute, Cheng Jin dunked past a defender and cut inside to hit the post, and the other time Cheng Jin sent a through ball in the 40th minute, and Leonardo's shot from a tight angle hit the crossbar. At the end of the half, Oscar missed a good chance to score 0-0.
In the second half, the Zhejiang team continued to besiege the Cangzhou Lions, Li Titian passed the ball with a scalpel, and Cheng Jin missed the opportunity to face the goalkeeper. The Cangzhou Lions used several black and hard foreign aides to use their personal abilities to create a threat in the front court, and the two sides did not score for a while, turning into a stalemate, and they were very cautious. In the 77th minute, Frank broke through the Cangzhou Lions defense, Leonardo scored with a single knife, and the Zhejiang team finally broke the deadlock with 28 shots, which was a quasi-kill. In stoppage time, clashes broke out between the two sides, Zheng Dalun and Leonardo had a verbal altercation, Shao Puliang rushed up from the goalkeeper position, and Zhao Junzhe also entered the field to persuade him. In the end, the Cangzhou Lions lost 0-1 to the Zhejiang team, and the opponent bombarded 31 shots on goal throughout the game.
After this game, the Cangzhou Lions suffered 5 rounds of winless, and only scored 1 point in 5 rounds, and the highlights of the dark horses at the beginning of the season have all dissipated. In the face of adversity, the team does not have a single thigh that can stand up, and the team lacks the ability to resist risks and injuries, which makes it difficult to deal with key players when they are out. Zhejiang scored three points to stop the bleeding, their first win in May.