From 2-0 to 1-3! Dalian Yingbo face Qingdao Hainiu aiming for revenge at home

The 26th round of the Chinese Super League kicks off at 19:35 tonight, with Dalian Yingbo hosting Qingdao Hainiu at Suoyu Bay. One team is competing for an AFC Champions League place, while the other is fighting relegation, creating a stark contrast. More importantly, Dalian suffered a painful defeat away at Qingdao in the first half of the season, throwing away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-1. The frustration has stayed with the nearly 30,000 fans at Suoyu Bay for almost four months.

On May 10 this year, in the 11th round of the league, Dalian Yingbo visited Qingdao Hainiu. They started strongly, hit the woodwork twice, and took a 2-0 lead, seemingly on course to secure all three points. However, Strandberg scored twice and Ye Boya added a stunning lob as Hainiu scored three unanswered goals to complete a 3-1 comeback. Dalian fans were frustrated—not because the opponent was too strong, but because Dalian let a game that was almost won slip away. Three mistakes led to gifts, and the woodwork also worked against them. Losing in that manner was more painful than being completely outplayed.

As the saying goes, a true hero does not dwell on past glory, but some debts need to be repaid.

Now is the right time. Dalian Yingbo have just eliminated Shanghai Shenhua with ten men in the FA Cup quarterfinals, boosting their confidence; they are fourth in the league standings, with an AFC Champions League qualification spot within reach. In their last two home matches at Suoyu Bay, they drew 1-1 with Beijing Guoan and defeated Shenhua in the FA Cup, remaining unbeaten. Tonight is the final match of their three-game home stretch, and the whole team has one goal: to enter the international break happily with a victory.

Of course, there are concerns as well. Goalkeeper Huang Zihao is suspended after receiving a red card, leaving Liu Weiguo to step in; Malcom? No, Malelai is out for the season, leaving the attack without one of its key weapons. With three matches in nine days, fatigue has become an issue. Without the support of home advantage, their momentum might have faded. But in football, confidence and momentum can sometimes matter more than tactics.

Qingdao Hainiu are facing even more difficulties. They have suffered eight consecutive league defeats and were just beaten 5-1 by Wuhan Three Towns in their previous match, conceding five goals in 80 minutes with a fragile defensive display. Despite having played one more match, they are still five points behind the safety zone, and another defeat could put them on track to prepare early for next season in the China League One. The personnel situation is also challenging: midfielder Eju Ma is suspended after accumulating four yellow cards, right-back Wei Zixian is unavailable after receiving two yellows and then a red, and Serbian foreign players Andjelkovic and Tufegdzic are injured and uncertain to feature. At best, Hainiu may only have two foreign players available for the match, leaving them weakened before kickoff.

If Dalian Yingbo fail to win this match, it would be difficult to explain. The phrase 'strike while the opponent is down' may sound rough, but the logic is simple. After Qingdao stole a victory in the first meeting, the opponent now arrives with missing players, low morale, and a long losing streak, giving Dalian a chance to recover the lost points and more. Hainiu will certainly fight desperately under relegation pressure, but in football, determination alone is not enough; ability must also decide the outcome.

The journey from 2-0 to 1-3 was the frustrating account from the first half of the season; tonight, the Suoyu Bay fans are waiting to see the scoreline after 1-3. After suffering that defeat earlier, Dalian have built up motivation to respond. Football rivalries are always settled through performances on the pitch. Dalian Yingbo must avoid regrets tonight, with Suoyu Bay waiting for a celebration.