Reporter Chen Yong reports Nobody anticipated this storyline! While behind, Hainiu staged a last-ditch fightback, ultimately reversing Guoan 4-2 to claim vital points for survival.

Hainiu never gave up

Guoan’s recent form has been terrible, but with home advantage and Hainiu’s winless away record this season, plus the suspension of their main striker Rankelze, it appeared Hainiu was bound to lose.

However, a surprising scene unfolded: although Guoan took the lead twice, Hainiu stubbornly equalized and then scored two goals in stoppage time, defeating Guoan 4-2 emphatically and fighting fiercely to seize a survival lifeline.

Rankelze received his fourth yellow card last match and was suspended, but fortunately, Hainiu’s other four foreign players were available. Coach Li Xiaopeng’s starting lineup featured goalkeeper Han Rongze; three center backs Jin Yangyang, Liu Jiashen, and Nikola; wing-backs Jin Yonghao and Wei Suowei; midfielders Augusto, Saric, Silva, and Lin Chuangyi; with youngster Mai Wulang upfront.

After kickoff, Guoan looked in good form; in the 20th minute, Fabio poked the ball into the net. After Guoan’s opening goal, few believed Hainiu could come back or even equalize. But in the 53rd minute, Wei Suowei was fouled inside the box by a Guoan player. The foul was clear, and after video review, referee Ma Ning awarded a penalty, which Saric converted.

Three minutes later, Hainiu fell behind again as Serginho scored a one-on-one goal. Falling behind twice in such a short span was a heavy blow to Hainiu, but they knew there was no time to despair and had to fight on. Hope finally appeared in the 86th minute—Mai Wulang broke through on the right and crossed; despite Saric’s poor control, a passive header by Engadu acted as an assist, allowing Saric to volley the ball in and equalize.

Saric completed a hat-trick

Hainiu’s equalizer wasn’t thrilling enough; an even more incredible moment came next. The match had 8 minutes of stoppage time, and Hainiu fans probably wished for the game to end soon, since earning a point at Guoan’s home was already a good result—historically, Hainiu had 2 draws and 10 losses in 12 away games against them, scoring only 3 goals.

But Hainiu’s players didn’t give up. In the 1st minute of stoppage, Saric crossed from the right; neither Guoan’s defenders nor Hainiu’s attackers touched the ball, and Silva made a late run to score, putting Hainiu ahead 3-2. In the 7th minute of stoppage, Engadu risked a back pass, Feng Boyuan intercepted and passed to Silva, who dribbled past a defender and then assisted Saric, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner. With Saric’s hat-trick, the victory was sealed.

Hainiu’s away win over Guoan was partly due to the opponent’s mistakes, but their fighting spirit was the decisive factor. They held 39% possession but led in shots 17 to 16, shots on target 8 to 6, and corners 8 to 5. On the edge of the cliff, Hainiu completely unleashed their fury.

Seeing the survival light

After beating Guoan, Hainiu’s points reached 21, ahead of Meizhou with 20 and Yatai with 19. With only two rounds left, Hainiu’s next matches are home against San Zhen and away against Zhejiang. San Zhen has 25 points, theoretically not yet safe, but the risk is low. For Hainiu, the match against San Zhen is a must-win, though their attacking strength is average. Among survival rivals, Yatai hosts Guoan, and Meizhou hosts Yingbo.

In the final round, Hainiu visits Zhejiang, who have been in good form recently, so pressure is high. The key will be the efficiency of counterattacks. Meanwhile, Meizhou plays away at Guoan, and Yatai faces Xihai’an away.

For Hainiu, to survive, a 1-point lead is not enough to relax. They must use the confidence gained from this 4-2 victory to fight desperately in the remaining two matches.