Written by Han Bing For Shenzhen Xin Pengcheng, which had already endured four straight losses, the "six-point clash" against Changchun Yatai was a critical survival battle. Sadly, Pep’s 5-4-1 system and ball control strategy still didn’t succeed. After a 0-1 away loss to relegation contender Changchun Yatai, Xin Pengcheng fell to 14th place, only 2 points clear of relegation. Xin Pengcheng has gained just 4 points in 11 away matches, ranking second from bottom in the CSL with the highest goals conceded. With 8 rounds remaining and 4 away games left, including matches against title contenders Guoan, Shenhua, and Rongcheng, the situation for Xin Pengcheng’s survival worsens following five consecutive defeats.

Mainly Using Five Defenders, but Defensive Performance is Poor

To fight for survival, Shenzhen Xin Pengcheng brought in Brazilian striker Wesley and Israeli defender Kartsev from the Turkish league during the secondary transfer window, and loaned midfielder Liao Lisheng from Chengdu Rongcheng. In July, they also replaced their coach with 46-year-old Pep as a caretaker. Pep previously worked under Jordi and Li Xiaopeng at Qingdao Huanghai, Shandong Luneng, and the Chinese national team, making him familiar with Chinese football. His debut match was a 4-0 victory in another crucial "six-point battle" against Qingdao Hainiu, but Xin Pengcheng then suffered four straight defeats to Yunnan Yukun, Zhejiang, Henan, and Shandong Taishan, conceding 14 goals in those four games.

Pep mainly employs a five-defender system, but the defense is still weak. Although new striker Wesley has continued his hot form from the Turkish second division, scoring in four consecutive matches with a total of 6 goals and 1 assist—including a hat-trick debut against Qingdao Hainiu—he still couldn’t prevent the team’s losing streak. Xin Pengcheng’s away performance against relegation rivals has been poor; besides a 1-0 away win against Qingdao Hainiu, they lost away matches to Meizhou Hakka and Henan, making this match against Yatai a must-win situation.

In the away game against Yatai, Pep made as many as 5 changes to the starting lineup, swapping both fullbacks, wingers, and the defensive midfielder. The five-defender setup was almost identical to Pep’s debut win over Qingdao Hainiu, with Jiang Zhipeng and Zhang Wei returning, only central defender Yu Rui replacing Yang Yiming. The double defensive midfielders remained Liao Lisheng and Kartsev, with Wesley leading the attack and Leonso and Bai Helamu supporting on the wings. Right winger Edu Garcia was suspended after receiving a red card against Taishan, but Jiang Zhipeng’s return provided significant help on Xin Pengcheng’s left flank. Pep’s only victory since taking over was when Jiang Zhipeng assisted twice to help Wesley score a hat-trick in the big win over Qingdao Hainiu.

Home Match Against Meizhou Hakka is Crucial

Although Jiang Zhipeng was very active on the left side, Xin Pengcheng had very few attacking chances in the first half. Besides Bai Helamu’s shot hitting the post and being ruled offside, Wesley missed the only clear scoring chance in the first half at the 28th minute: Changchun Yatai central defender Rosic’s headed clearance mistake almost became an assist for Wesley, but Xin Pengcheng’s top scorer fired the ball high over the goal. At the 40th minute, Jiang Zhipeng’s right-side corner kick was saved, and Bai Helamu’s follow-up shot inside the box was blocked by Wang Zhifeng. Defensively, Zhang Wei’s right flank became Changchun Yatai’s main attacking channel, with Xu Haofeng and Camilo repeatedly pressuring Xin Pengcheng’s defense.

In the second half, Pep made slight adjustments: Wesley dropped back, and Bai Helamu pushed forward as a striker. Just three minutes into the half, Xin Pengcheng’s worst defense in the CSL still couldn’t avoid conceding: although Yu Rui blocked Camilo’s shot by falling down, Hu Ruibao on the right failed to stop Omoijuanfu’s shot, resulting in a 0-1 deficit. Xin Pengcheng has conceded 50 goals this CSL season, keeping a clean sheet only 4 times in 22 matches.

Afterward, Xin Pengcheng’s goal area remained chaotic, and injuries forced Liao Lisheng and veteran Jiang Zhipeng off the field, further weakening their attack. At the 77th minute, Pep substituted in An Yongjia and switched to a 4-4-2 formation, but the offense still showed no improvement. In stoppage time, Shenzhen Xin Pengcheng created two shooting opportunities but failed to convert either into a goal.

Pep’s possession tactics did allow Xin Pengcheng to dominate possession (63%), but with Changchun Yatai focusing on marking Wesley tightly, the offense had no other options. Yatai scored with their only shot on target all game, while Xin Pengcheng had four shots on target but failed to score. Even worse, Wesley, signed in the secondary transfer window, has now gone two games without scoring and seemed to suffer a thigh injury in this match, making Xin Pengcheng’s already inefficient attack even more ineffective.

After five straight losses, Shenzhen Xin Pengcheng faces a tough remaining schedule over the last 8 rounds, making their relegation outlook increasingly bleak. On the 31st, Xin Pengcheng hosts Meizhou Hakka in another "six-point battle," followed by consecutive away matches against Dalian Yifang and Tianjin Jinmen Tiger. In the final 5 rounds, besides facing Qingdao West Coast and Wuhan Three Towns, Xin Pengcheng will also confront the three title contenders Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Shenhua, and Chengdu Rongcheng consecutively.