September 9 China League One Standings: Dalian Kuncheng Drop to 11th, Guangdong GZ Leopards and Shenzhen Youth Gain Promotion Advantage

The 2026 China League One season is in full swing, and all eight matches of Round 22 have been completed. The results of this round once again reshaped the standings, with as many as ten teams changing positions, suggesting that the promotion and relegation battles will become even more intense this season.

In the highly anticipated clash between strong teams, financially backed league leaders Guangdong GZ Leopards traveled to face Nantong Zhiyun, who previously competed in the Chinese Super League. Although the match ended in a 1-1 draw and they failed to extend their previous four-game winning streak, the Leopards extended their unbeaten run to 13 matches and reached 50 points. Their outstanding form keeps them at the top of the table, and their advantage over the third-placed team has expanded to double digits, effectively securing a valuable Chinese Super League promotion place ahead of schedule. It is worth noting that after their parent company Guangzhou Evergrande encountered difficulties, Guangdong GZ Leopards received strong support from various sides, providing additional momentum for their promotion campaign.

Another team with strong financial backing, Shenzhen Youth, also showed great competitiveness at home. They recorded a convincing 5-1 victory over Meizhou Hakka, who were relegated from the Chinese Super League last season. The win gave Shenzhen Youth a recent record of five wins and one draw, taking their total points to 42 and keeping them firmly in second place in the China League One standings. As the gap with teams behind them continues to grow, their promotion hopes have become increasingly strong and team morale is high.

Dark horses Guangxi Hengchen suffered an unexpected setback in this round, losing 0-1 at home to Shijiazhuang Gongfu. The result ended their previous three-game unbeaten run, leaving them on 36 points and dropping them to third place. Nantong Zhiyun, despite failing to win in their last two matches, moved up to fourth place with the point earned from this match, also with 36 points. Both teams have played one fewer match but still retain hopes of challenging for promotion, and their performances deserve continued attention.

Yanbian Longding lost 0-2 away to Wuxi Wugou, suffering two consecutive defeats. Their points remained at 35 and they fell to fifth place. Based on their current momentum, they appear to be drifting away from the leading group and need to quickly regain form.

The 'Northwest Wolves' Shaanxi Union defeated Dingnan Ganlian, formerly known as Heilongjiang Ice City, 2-1 at home to secure a valuable second consecutive victory. They have played one fewer match and remain sixth in the standings. Although their promotion hopes are slim, they are still fighting for the goal.

Shijiazhuang Gongfu are in excellent form, reaching 27 points after a run of five consecutive wins and eight matches unbeaten, moving up to seventh place. Although their gap from the relegation zone has increased, the head coach still warned the team not to relax while the relegation situation remains unresolved.

Wuxi Wugou ended their previous four-game losing streak and climbed to eighth place despite having played two fewer matches. Ningbo, meanwhile, were deducted three points for widely known reasons and lost 0-2 away to Changchun Yatai in this round, extending their winless run to six matches and dropping to ninth place. The two teams are currently level on 26 points and remain very close in the standings.

Traditional strong side Changchun Yatai returned to winning ways despite a four-point deduction this season, moving up to tenth place in the standings.

Dalian Kuncheng, coached by former Dalian national team player Yang Lin, drew 0-0 away with bottom side Foshan Nanshi. The result ended their positive run of two consecutive wins and dropped them to 11th place. They are level with Changchun Yatai on 25 points. Considering that the bottom team in this season's China League One will face a promotion-relegation playoff against the third-placed team from China League Two, Dalian Kuncheng have not completely escaped relegation danger and still face a challenging battle to stay up.

Suzhou Dongwu, another team coached by Dalian-born coach Guo Hui, defeated fellow Jiangsu side Nanjing City 2-0 at home in the provincial derby despite a three-point deduction. The victory gave them another two-game winning streak and an eight-match unbeaten run this season, lifting them to 12th place.

Dingnan Ganlian have suffered a difficult spell with three consecutive defeats and four matches without a win, dropping to 13th place and sitting level with Suzhou Dongwu on 25 points.

Nanjing City face an even more serious situation, suffering three consecutive defeats and a nine-match winless run. They dropped to third from bottom, 14th place, with their relegation situation becoming critical.

Meizhou Hakka remain second from bottom after a nine-point deduction and a poor recent run of four matches without a win. Foshan Nanshi, after ending their previous four-game losing streak, have endured a difficult 17-match winless run while competing in both China League One and the Chinese FA Cup, and remain at the bottom. The two teams are both on 12 points and can essentially be considered to have secured the two direct relegation places, with one foot already in China League Two.