Tianjin Jinmen Tiger secured their place in the top half of the Chinese Super League (CSL) table with a crucial victory over Shandong Luneng on Sunday.
The match at Tianjin's Olympic Stadium was a tense affair, with both sides creating chances but failing to find the back of the net. However, the home side were able to take advantage of a mistake by Shandong's goalkeeper and go ahead early in the second half.
Tianjin continued to dominate possession and create more chances as the game wore on, and they finally added to their lead when a header from Zhang Wanyan put them two goals ahead. Despite some late attempts from Shandong, Tianjin held on for a well-deserved victory that kept them in contention for a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Shandong Luneng's relegation hopes took another hit with a 1-0 defeat against Guangzhou Evergrande. The result means that Guangzhou have moved into first place in Group H, leaving Shandong with just one point from their opening six games.
Despite their loss, Shandong will still be hoping to avoid the drop this season, but it looks like they may need to play catch-up if they want to stay in the league. With only three matches remaining, there is still plenty of time for them to turn things around, but it won't be easy given the strong form of their rivals.
Overall, it has been a tough week for both Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and Shandong Luneng, who will now look to bounce back in their next fixtures. As always, the CSL remains a competitive and exciting league, and every match brings new challenges and opportunities for the teams involved.