In the 14th round of the 2022 Chinese League, a star-studded Qilu derby was played between Qingdao Hainiu and Zibo Cuju on the night of August 8th. Despite the luxury of the Qingdao Hainiu lineup, Zibo Cuju, with a full Chinese class and the tenacity of the remnants of the team, dragged the game into a 90-minute stalemate, and ultimately shook hands with a score of 1-1, the Qingdao Hainiu's five-game winning streak came to an abrupt end, and the pace of the superhighway was also blocked.
This Qilu derby was highly publicized not only because of the passion of its geographical rivalry, but also because it was the only match of the day in the Central League, enjoying an extremely high level of exposure. Before the match, most people predicted that Qingdao Hainiu would win easily. After all, the strength of the two teams is vastly different, Qingdao Hainiu has three former internationals and three powerful foreign aiders, and the lineup is complete, while Zibo Cuju can only play with a full Chinese class due to the problem of unpaid wages. In addition, Qingdao Sea Cowboys won the first round 4-2, and Qingdao Sea Cowboys recent hot form of five consecutive wins also increased their chances of winning. However, the match went against everyone's expectations. In the first half, Qingdao Manatee attacked like a tide, but the chances in front of the goal were often wasted, Xie Wenneng's breakthrough and Onuebou's shot failed to break the enemy. Zibo Cuju, on the other hand, took advantage of Qingdao Hainiu's foreigner Guna's mistake and broke the deadlock with a fine counterattack by U21 youngster Wang Hansheng. At the end of the half, Guna's header equalized the score for Qingdao Hainiu, setting the stage for a second-half comeback. In the second half, Qingdao Hainiu brought in a number of players to strengthen their offense, including Liu Jiaxun, who returned from the Chinese Super League and wore the No.9 uniform to play in the front line. However, despite their best efforts, Qingdao Hainiu failed to change the score, and the 1-1 scoreline was maintained until the end of the match. For Zibo Cuju, it was a very satisfying result to snatch a point from the favorites. For Qingdao Hainiu, the draw not only cost them two points, but also allowed the gap between the leading Jiangsu duo to widen further, while also giving the rivals behind them a chance to catch up. This Qilu derby has undoubtedly become a turning point in the season for both sides.
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