Reported by Wang Wei and intern Cao Si On the evening of October 11, during the 26th round of the 2025 China League One, Guangzhou Leopards secured a commanding 4-1 home victory over Nanjing City. At the same time, Chongqing Tongliang Dragons beat Foshan Nanshi 2-0 at home. With 4 rounds left in the season, Guangzhou Leopards, holding 50 points, remain 2 points behind Tongliang Dragons. As league leaders Liaoning Ironmen have nearly secured a promotion spot, the competition between Guangzhou Leopards and Chongqing Tongliang Dragons for the remaining promotion place has heated up significantly.

Victory sealed in the first half

Right from the start, Guangzhou Leopards quickly found their rhythm, showing strong attacking intent and tactical discipline, delivering what could be described as their “most perfect” 45 minutes of the season in the first half.

In the 21st minute, Guangzhou Leopards broke the deadlock first. Nikon took a corner kick with precision, sending the ball to the far post where center-back Han Xuan headed it into the net, making it 1-0 and opening the scoring for the team. This goal not only electrified the home fans but also ignited Guangzhou Leopards’ attacking momentum. Post-match, head coach Feng Feng expressed satisfaction about the goal: “Scoring from set pieces in two consecutive games shows the results of our training.” Just five minutes later, Guangzhou Leopards extended their lead again, with Nikon initiating the attack from midfield, delivering a precise pass to teammate Rosa. Rosa calmly controlled the ball, dribbled sideways to evade defenders, and then powerfully struck with his left foot, sending the ball into the top corner for 2-0. This goal also marked Rosa’s double-digit league goals for the season. In the 36th minute, Nanjing City made a midfield error; Wang Jianming intercepted and quickly passed to the advancing Nikon, who fired a fierce shot to make it 3-0. Guangzhou Leopards went into halftime with a commanding lead.

After the match, Feng Feng said the team made targeted adjustments for this game: “We reviewed the pros and cons from our last home match against Shenzhen Youth and spent the past week focusing on players’ physical and competitive conditions. I’m happy to see the players demonstrating the fruits of training during the match. This is the result of team effort and key to our victory.”

In the second half, at the 55th minute, substitute Zeng Chao assisted Nikon for the fourth goal, making it 4-0. Among the four goals by Guangzhou Leopards, Nikon contributed two goals and two assists, earning legendary status in this match. Later, Nanjing City’s Ma Fuyu scored a consolation goal, but Guangzhou Leopards ultimately won 4-1 at home.

Chasing 10 points in 9 rounds

After the match, Feng Feng summarized the game and focused on the promotion race with Chongqing Tongliang Dragons.

“The match went exactly as we planned before kickoff. We gained the advantage through aggressive offense in the first half and resisted the opponent’s counterattack in the second half to secure the win. The two foreign players performed excellently, reflecting the team’s good form and keeping our momentum strong in the promotion race.” Feng Feng first thanked the fans and players, then shifted to talk about the promotion battle: “When I took over, we were 12 points behind Tongliang Dragons, but after 9 rounds of effort, we’ve narrowed the gap to 2 points. The coaching staff and players have worked tremendously hard, making the league more exciting. The team will continue to strive for promotion, maintaining our fighting spirit. We will give our all in the upcoming matches to achieve this goal.”

This match held special meaning for Guangzhou Leopards player Ma Junliang, as Nanjing City is his former club. “Facing Nanjing City again, I feel grateful to the fans there for their past support; they made me feel at home,” Ma Junliang said. “Every upcoming match is crucial. I will keep training hard and stay in good shape. Whenever the team needs me, I’m ready to give my all to help Guangzhou Leopards achieve promotion.”

With this 4-1 victory, Guangzhou Leopards continue to closely pursue Chongqing Tongliang Dragons on the path to promotion. Since Tongliang Dragons also won this round, the gap remains 2 points. On October 18, in the 27th round, Guangzhou Leopards will visit Suzhou Dongwu, while Chongqing Tongliang Dragons will play away against Dalian Kunchen.