The two teams in the relegation zone both secured three points, pushing Qingdao Hainiu back into crisis.

Reporter Lu Mi reports This round of the Chinese Super League witnessed a crucial shift in the relegation battle. Both Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and Wuhan Three Towns, who are in the relegation zone, claimed victories. Although this did not change their positions at the bottom of the table, it narrowed the gap with Qingdao Hainiu, who sits third from bottom, to just three points.

Meanwhile, Qingdao Hainiu, which originally held a slight safety advantage, saw its injuries and fatigue worsen due to a postponed match. After losing 2-3 away to Zhejiang Greentown, they suffered a crushing 1-5 defeat away to Henan Caifangfang in this round, pushing the team to the brink once again. On the other hand, Henan Caifangfang, with this resounding victory, temporarily escaped the relegation mire. After this round, the relegation situation in the Chinese Super League has entered a completely chaotic phase.

The biggest variable in this round's relegation battle came from the simultaneous efforts of the two teams in the relegation zone. Wuhan Three Towns, which had been stuck at the bottom of the standings, faced Shenzhen Xinpengcheng at home. Despite fielding only three foreign players, luck seemed to return to their side. Shenzhen Xinpengcheng, playing away, had a player sent off early with a red card for a foul in the box by Gabriel, giving the opponents a huge advantage. They led 2-0 by halftime and ultimately secured the win with that scoreline. This victory ended their recent slump and rekindled their hopes of staying up.

The other relegation-zone team, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, played away against Shanghai Shenhua. Head coach Yu Genwei was suspended and unable to enter the stadium to direct the match. For most of the game, Jinmen Tiger was on the back foot, but a heavy downpour in the 70th minute changed the situation, forcing a suspension until 10:05 PM. After the restart, Shanghai Shenhua, which had dominated the game earlier, seemed to be in a daze, while Jinmen Tiger scored two quick goals through Hadas and Kileis to secure the win. As a result, Jinmen Tiger has now achieved two consecutive victories during Yu Genwei's suspension.

Compared to the recovery in form and situation of the two relegation-zone teams, Qingdao Hainiu suffered a devastating blow in this round. In the crucial relegation match away against Henan, Hainiu not only lost by a huge margin but also paid a heavy price in terms of player injuries, leaving the team's overall situation extremely precarious.

In the previous round, several matches were postponed due to a typhoon. However, the match between Qingdao Hainiu and Zhejiang Greentown was only rescheduled to last Tuesday (the 14th), meaning both teams had to endure a dense schedule of two matches in one week. Although Hainiu had strengthened its squad mid-season, particularly with the key midfield reinforcement of foreign player Tufegjic, he played only 11 minutes in the match against Zhejiang before being injured and leaving the field. The club later confirmed that he had a complete dislocation of his right acromioclavicular joint, requiring 5 to 7 weeks of absence. In addition, Lin Chuangyi also suffered a thigh strain during the match. In that game, Hainiu was defeated by a last-minute goal from Zhejiang.

Subsequently, in the away match against Henan (on the 17th), Hainiu's squad was so depleted that even the substitutes' bench could not be filled. Milan did his best with the available personnel, but they still lost 1-5. This painful defeat not only cost Hainiu a golden opportunity to widen the gap in points but also severely damaged team morale. The outbreak of injuries within the team has also created major hidden dangers for the upcoming rounds.

In stark contrast to Qingdao Hainiu's desperate situation, Henan achieved a perfect self-rescue with this 5-1 victory. Previously, Henan was also under relegation pressure, sitting fourth from bottom and at risk of slipping into the relegation zone at any time. The team urgently needed a win to stabilize. Facing a depleted Qingdao Hainiu, Henan's attack fired on all cylinders, unleashing their full offensive power to secure a crucial three points and gain valuable breathing room. In the standings, Henan overtook Shanghai Port to move into 12th place, now seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Another team that suffered a setback this round was Shanghai Port. Due to point deductions, Port has been in the lower half of the standings all season, though their strong squad led outsiders to believe they had no relegation worries. However, Port's recent pace of picking up points has been very slow. After losing to Qingdao West Coast, they traveled to face Yunnan Yukun in this round, nearly being overturned by the hosts despite taking a two-goal lead away from home, and ultimately only managed a draw. They have now dropped to fourth from bottom, just five points ahead of the relegation zone, making their situation much more dangerous than before.

With the conclusion of this round, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and Wuhan Three Towns have further narrowed the gap in points to the safety zone, rekindling their hopes of staying up. Currently, apart from Qingdao Hainiu's very dangerous situation, another team that looks full of uncertainty is Shenzhen Xinpengcheng, which changed its coach during the summer window. Since the coaching change, the team has achieved a record of 1 win and 3 losses. Although new coach Nielson has tried his best to imprint his style on the team, the overall performance remains unstable. On the standings without considering point deductions, their record has already fallen into the relegation zone. To avoid relegation, the team must quickly find and stabilize a core tactical approach.