Two consecutive wins, Xin Pengcheng nears "survival".

Reported by journalist Wang Wei and intern Li Xin. On the night of October 24, during a key relegation clash, Shenzhen Xin Pengcheng fought hard to beat Wuhan Three Towns 2-1 away, even after a player was sent off in the 44th minute. Acting coach Chen Tao achieved back-to-back wins, pushing Xin Pengcheng’s points tally to 26, nearing survival.

In the last match, both Xin Pengcheng and Three Towns regained form and secured points. Xin Pengcheng broke their winless streak since September by surprisingly defeating Guoan and earning 3 points; Three Towns drew away at Yingbo, taking 1 point. As the league nears its end, this “six-point game” was crucial for both sides. As Chen Tao said before the match: “This is the most important game among our remaining three matches.”

For this match, Chen Tao made lineup changes, promoting Bai Helamu and Yu Rui to the starting eleven; on Three Towns’ side, Wang Yi replaced the injured Deng Hanwen in the starting lineup. In the 41st minute, Xin Pengcheng broke the deadlock. Jiang Zhipeng’s throw-in caused chaos in front of the Three Towns goal. Park Ji-soo made a clearance error, allowing Edu to head the ball into the net.

Leading away from home, Xin Pengcheng was in a strong position, but unfortunately, Yang Yiming elbowed Shen Ziguo during a contest, and referee Zhang Lei showed a straight red card, reducing Xin Pengcheng to ten men. The situation became delicate with one player less.

After the break, Xin Pengcheng made a substitution, taking off Bai Helamu and bringing on Nan Song. Three Towns replaced captain Ren Hang with Zheng Haoqian, trying to boost their attack. Despite facing a counterattack and being a man down, Xin Pengcheng showed great resilience and even took control of the game at times. In the 58th minute, Karlțsev assisted Dugalić, who scored to extend Xin Pengcheng’s lead to 2-0.

In the 80th minute, Yu Rui accidentally scored an own goal, allowing Three Towns to pull one back, but Xin Pengcheng didn’t give their opponents any further chances and eventually won 2-1 away, securing valuable 3 points.

After two matches under acting coach Chen Tao, the team earned 6 points. At the post-match press conference, Chen Tao credited the victory to “luck,” saying, “We got a good result thanks to some luck. The opponent created more threats and chances, but maybe our luck was better.” He also emphasized the importance of the “team spirit,” adding, “Without team spirit, none of us could win.” Captain Dugalić, who scored the second goal, also spoke about the team effort: “Today was a team victory; we showed passion and fighting spirit. This win is dedicated to all of us.”

Regarding the own goal, Chen Tao said Yu Rui was unlucky, “But that’s part of football; the red card for Yang Yiming was the same. As a coach, I have to accept everything, no matter the outcome. If things go wrong, I take full responsibility.” Observers believe Yang Yiming’s red card in the 44th minute was a pivotal moment, significant for both teams.

At halftime, Chen Tao told the players: “There are many uncontrollable factors in a match. Although we are one man down, everyone must work harder to cover the loss. When things get tough, don’t worry because your teammates will support you. As long as everyone gives their all, there will be no regrets.”

When Chen Tao took over, Xin Pengcheng was in a critical relegation battle. Now, with two wins and 6 points secured, Dugalić feels deeply: “He brought us new energy, and we will give everything for the coach.”

As head coach, Chen Tao has consistently stressed the importance of the players: “I know three weeks is not enough to completely change a team, but the players have truly put in effort. They all want to stay in the Super League and have worked very hard for it. I want to thank them.”

Chen Tao said the fighting spirit shown by the players “is exactly the spirit promoted by the city of Shenzhen and our club. I hope that through such performances, more and more Shenzhen fans will return to support us.”

With two consecutive wins, Xin Pengcheng has reached 26 points, climbing to 12th place, 8 points ahead of relegation rivals Haigang and Yatai. Although those two teams have games in hand and can gain at most 9 points, the trend shows Xin Pengcheng is very close to “survival,” with relegation avoidance in sight.