Qingdao Renliu defeated Shanghai Shenhua in the second round of the Chinese Super League on Wednesday night, but it was not enough to save them from relegation.
The match ended in a draw with both teams scoring two goals each. However, Qingdao's defeat meant that they have now lost three consecutive games and are currently bottom of the table.
Despite their poor form, Qingdao manager Wang Xiaolong is still confident that his team can turn things around and avoid relegation. "We know we need to win more games if we want to stay in the league," he said.
However, it seems unlikely that Qingdao will be able to turn things around soon as they face tough opponents such as Guangzhou Evergrande and Jiangsu Suning in the coming weeks.
For their part, Shanghai Shenhua manager Gao Chengbo admitted that his side had made some mistakes in the match. "We were lucky to get a point against Qingdao, but we should have done better."
With just five games left in the season, the pressure is certainly mounting for both teams as they try to secure their place in the top flight. Only time will tell whether Qingdao can pull off a miracle and avoid relegation or whether they will continue to struggle and face the prospect of being relegated to the Chinese Second Division.