Five consecutive losses on both fronts, Hai Niu's survival requires a miracle.

Special contributor/Qingpeng No surprise, in the 21st round of the CSL, the Qingdao derby, Hai Niu, on a three-game league losing streak and four consecutive losses across both fronts, lost 0-2 to West Coast, remaining at the bottom. To avoid relegation, a miracle is needed.

Before this match, Hai Niu had lost 2-3 away to Zhejiang, suffered a 1-5 defeat in Henan, lost 0-2 at home to Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, and were eliminated 1-4 away by Shenhua in the FA Cup. Hai Niu was in a slump. In this round against West Coast, Hai Niu hoped to break free from their predicament.

"The opponent is very strong; they are ranked fifth, and we are at the bottom," said Milan, the Hai Niu head coach, before the match. However, he stated that the derby is a special match where anything can happen. He revealed that the team is ready. "For tomorrow's game, I don't need to give any pep talk; the players will treat it as a battle."

Mou Pengfei said that the derby, like the next nine games, "is very important for us." For Hai Niu, the biggest pre-match positive was the return from suspension of their core forward Ye Boya. Due to headbutting Yao Junsheng in the match against Xinpeng City, Ye Boya was fined 40,000 yuan and suspended for four matches.

Without Ye Boya, Hai Niu's offense lost its most important firepower, struggling to score. Fans hoped he could lead the team's attack in the derby and bring a glimmer of hope to the team on a four-game losing streak across both competitions. But the harsh reality was that Hai Niu was hit by an injury wave, with only two foreign players playing in this match. It was difficult to support the team's offense and continuously attack the West Coast defense.

In the opening stage, Hai Niu showed good form, taking the initiative for a long period in the first half, constantly trying to break through the opponent's defense with high pressing. Ye Boya created several set-piece opportunities through his dribbling. However, hidden problems gradually emerged. The prolonged high-intensity pressing led to a decline in players' stamina, and the old issue of poor passing coordination in the midfield and forward line resurfaced. There was a lack of stable connection between striker Strandberg and the local midfielders, resulting in insufficient threat.

The West Coast keenly seized the window when Hai Niu's pace slowed down. Dong Yu sent a precise long pass from the back, and Peng Xinli slotted home to open the scoring. This goal changed the course of the match, leaving Hai Niu passive and flustered.

In the second half, the West Coast intensified their pressure, repeatedly threatening by getting behind Hai Niu's defenders. Zheng Zhi also brought on Nelson Luz to maintain the pressure. The second goal came in the 64th minute. The West Coast executed a clever free kick routine. All of Hai Niu's defenders thought Davison would lift the ball high, but instead, he played it low to Memišević, catching the Hai Niu defense off guard. The West Coast took a two-goal lead.

Trailing by two goals, Milan could only make substitutions, hoping to change the offensive slump, but had few options. They could only test the West Coast with long-range shots, but none succeeded. In the 85th minute, defender Li Suda committed a tactical foul, receiving a second yellow card and thus a red card. For the already depleted Hai Niu, this added insult to injury.

After securing three points, the West Coast moved to second place in the league. Currently, the competition at the top of the CSL standings is extremely fierce. Apart from Rongcheng firmly holding the top spot, many teams are closely packed in points. Every round and every point from now on will directly affect the teams' rankings.

It is worth mentioning that Li Zhangzhu watched the game live. He had coached Hai Niu and also coached Zheng Zhi and Huang Bowen in the CSL. On the other side of the derby, Hai Niu's situation was precarious. With this loss, the reality of five consecutive losses on both fronts weighed heavily on the team like a mountain. After falling into the relegation zone for the second time, the situation suddenly took a turn for the worse. After this round of the league, the relegation rivals all grabbed points. Tianjin Jinmen Tiger smoothly took all three points at home, while Three Towns drew away against the league leader Rongcheng, earning a valuable point. Only Hai Niu remained stagnant, still at the bottom. The three-team tie in points was broken, making Hai Niu's survival situation even more severe.

"It was a tough match. We are still looking for our form," said Ye Boya after the game. He admitted that having missed five matches, it was difficult to immediately regain his form. "But everything will be fine. I will recover my form and be okay." Regarding how the team can overcome the difficulties, he said they must stick together. "We still have nine games left. Each one is very important, like a final. We will keep moving forward and never give up."

Milan also said that the current situation is very unfavorable for Hai Niu, but the team will not give up. "We will continue to fight."

Hai Niu's problems are quite serious now. The foreign player lineup is incomplete, and the team's morale is damaged. To get out of the quagmire, they urgently need a victory. In the next match, they will face Shenhua, who are also in poor form recently.