Reporter Chen Yong reports. The recent Chinese Super League has truly exceeded fans' expectations. In round 25, Changchun Yatai, despite having 11 players against 9 and leading 3-2, was ultimately equalized by Zhejiang Greentown in the final seconds, turning a 3-point win into just 1 point. In the following round, Changchun Yatai became the miracle maker: down 0-2 with 10 players against 11, they fought back with two goals in stoppage time to secure a draw.

For Yatai, turning 3 points into 1 last match and 0 points into 1 this match might seem like losing a point, but they actually gained: this miraculous draw caused their direct rival Qingdao Hainiu to lose 2 points. On the contrary, for Qingdao Hainiu, despite having one extra player from just 8 minutes in and leading 2-0 at the 90th minute, they failed to secure the 3 points and were dominated in both play and stats throughout the game — a situation both ironic and frustrating.

On October 4th, in a Chinese Super League makeup match, Qingdao Hainiu will face Meizhou Hakka away. Can they achieve redemption?

A maddening equalizer.

In this match, Qingdao Hainiu’s foreign player Saric was again absent due to injury, while the other four foreign players—Rankelze, Silva, Augusto, and Nikola—started. Although unable to field all five foreign players, Qingdao Hainiu still held a clear lineup advantage over Changchun Yatai, who only had two foreign players on the field: forward Omoyuanfu and central defender Rosic.

Just 8 minutes into the game, Qingdao Hainiu gained a numerical advantage when Rankelze was fouled by Yatai’s goalkeeper Wang Zhifeng during a breakaway, resulting in a straight red card for Wang. Lin Chuangyi then scored directly from the resulting free kick, putting Hainiu ahead 1-0.

However, with both the advantages of 11 against 10 and a 1-0 lead, Qingdao Hainiu became cautious and restrained, allowing Yatai to dominate the rest of the match. From the gameplay, it was hard to see any benefit from having an extra player; if anything, it felt like they were a man down.

In the 72nd minute, substitute Xiao Kun maneuvered skillfully inside the box to help Qingdao Hainiu extend the lead to 2-0. At that moment, nearly everyone believed Hainiu had sealed the victory. But the unexpected happened: 2-0 turned into a dangerous scoreline even with a man advantage. In the 91st minute, Hainiu’s passive clearance hit a Yatai player, allowing Tan Long to score; and in the 95th minute, a shocking scene unfolded as another defensive error led to a header by Tan Long saved by Han Rongze, only for Eiffel Ding to score on the rebound, leaving Han helpless.

Yatai miraculously equalized, which from a statistical perspective reflects their unyielding spirit: despite being a man down from the 8th minute, Yatai held 50% possession, outshot Hainiu 12 to 8, had 6 shots on target to 4, 6 corners to 3, and 18 free kicks to 8 — dominating the stats. Many 50-50 challenges were won by Yatai, showing their fighting spirit and contrasting with Hainiu’s cautious approach. After the match, Xiao Kun reflected, “Maybe having more players made us overthink. Now we just need to summarize and treat the next game as a final.”

The must-win battle in Meizhou.

Meizhou Hakka also suffered a heavy defeat this round. Despite the draw, Qingdao Hainiu remains 14th, just outside the relegation zone. On October 4th, the makeup match between Meizhou Hakka and Qingdao Hainiu is scheduled, and for Hainiu, this is a game they absolutely cannot afford to lose.

Regarding head-to-head records: Qingdao Hainiu defeated Changchun Yatai 3-0 at home and drew 2-2 away; in their first encounter with Meizhou Hakka, Hainiu drew 1-1 at home; Meizhou Hakka lost twice to Changchun Yatai. Extending to Shenzhen New Pengcheng, they have beaten Qingdao Hainiu twice, have a 1-1 record with Changchun Yatai (head-to-head advantage), and a 1-1 record with Meizhou Hakka (head-to-head disadvantage).

For Qingdao Hainiu, winning against Meizhou Hakka would put them 3 points ahead of Changchun Yatai and 4 points ahead of Meizhou Hakka, with head-to-head advantages over both teams, greatly improving their chances of survival. A draw would still give a slight points edge, but the three-team head-to-head would be unfavorable. A loss would drop Hainiu back into the relegation zone and leave them with a head-to-head disadvantage against Meizhou Hakka.

As for how to approach the match against Meizhou Hakka, there is really only one key point: in a relegation battle, only fighting with full commitment can secure a way out.

Besides this relegation showdown with Meizhou Hakka, Qingdao Hainiu will next host Shanghai Port, play away against Beijing Guoan, host Wuhan Three Towns, and travel to Zhejiang. Hainiu must secure points in their two home games, as earning points away at Beijing Guoan will be very difficult. If their survival is still uncertain before the final round, the situation may slip beyond their control, especially since Zhejiang has shown no mercy against teams fighting relegation.