Consecutive early-game collapses, Wuhan Three Towns' relegation alarm fully sounded!

Report by journalist Lu Mi In the 5th round of the 2026 Chinese Super League season, Wuhan Three Towns lost 1-2 away to the newly promoted Chongqing Tongliang Long, suffering two consecutive league defeats. In the previous match against Shenzhen New Peng City, the team conceded five goals leading to a collapse, and in this game facing a depleted newly promoted side, the defense once again gifted opportunities, resulting in defeat. Two consecutive bizarre and easy conceded goals caused the team to collapse early. After five rounds, this former CSL champion has only achieved 1 win, 1 draw, and 3 losses. Due to penalty points, its score remains at -1, ranking near the relegation zone, with the relegation alarm fully sounded.

Wuhan Three Towns' performance in the last two matches has been disastrous, with fatal defensive flaws being the main cause of collapse. In the previous away match against Shenzhen New Peng City, the team's defense was virtually nonexistent, conceding three goals easily in the first half, leading to a final 2-5 defeat. After the match, head coach Mora直言 pointed out prominent defensive issues and stated that defensive training would be specifically strengthened during the new preparation cycle. In this round against the newly promoted Chongqing Tongliang Long, the defense once again actively gifted opportunities.

To counter Chongqing Tongliang Long, a newly promoted team unbeaten in the first five rounds with the fewest conceded goals, Three Towns特意 deployed a 451 formation aiming to solidify the defense. However, stacking defensive personnel could not抵过主动失误 and lazy defensive awareness. In the first half, Wuhan Three Towns unsurprisingly entered a迷茫期. In the 14th minute, facing a small-angle shot from the opponent, goalkeeper Fang Jingqi's save slipped, allowing Tongliang Long player Chen Chunxin to score on the rebound. Fang Jingqi's slip was already a huge mistake, and面对 the two rebound points on the right flank of Tongliang Long, Three Towns竟然 had no one marking, leaving vast空白地带 for the opponent.

The双重失误 of the goalkeeper and defense did not警醒 the team. Only 8 minutes later, Zhang Zhixiong scored another goal with a header. Kenpanu's cross from the right accurately found Zhang Zhixiong, and the防守球员 on both sides of him甚至都没有起跳争顶, ultimately allowing him to easily extend the lead. Just before half of the first half had passed, Three Towns was already two goals behind, a situation identical to the previous match against Shenzhen New Peng City.

Three Towns' 451 formation appeared严密实则松散. The defensive players were懒散,反应迟缓, with缺失协防意识. Apart from人数堆积, the defensive improvements emphasized by Mora before the match were毫无体现. In the second half, the team's进攻端问题又凸显严重. In the first 25 minutes, there was not a single effective shot. Midfield衔接不畅,边路突破受阻, and the three foreign attackers in the front各自为战, lacking effective配合.

Until Tongliang Long forward Du Yue徵 was直红罚下 in the second half, giving Three Towns a多打一人的 advantage. Three Towns foreign player Cadiz scored a header from a set piece in the 73rd minute to扳回一球, but the team依旧未能抓住机会 to equalize. Throughout the match, Three Towns进攻乏力,攻坚不足. Even with a numerical advantage, it was难以打破僵局, ultimately无奈接受失利.

With this defeat, Wuhan Three Towns' situation becomes愈发艰难. After five CSL rounds, the team has scored 8 goals and conceded 11. Due to penalty points, its score remains at -1, ranking temporarily 13th, already无限接近降级区. In contrast,对手 Chongqing Tongliang Long, after winning, holds a 3-win, 2-draw unbeaten record暂登积分榜首. The落差 between the former champion and the newly promoted team is令人唏嘘.

Currently, Three Towns' relegation形势已十分危险, with多重问题交织难解. On defense, goalkeeper失误频发,防线状态低迷. Two consecutive bizarre conceded goals prove Mora's adjustments没有见效. How to弥补防守漏洞 becomes the首要难题. On offense, midfield创造力不足,外援配合生疏. Even with three foreign attackers, it is难以形成进攻合力,攻坚能力薄弱. With绍尔被锁死, no one in the front挺身而出.

Mora said after the match: "A difficult game. We made many mistakes in defense in the first half and paid the price for it. Although the team made some adjustments in the second half and saw improvement, from the result看, we still did not do enough."

The近期连续三个客场确实有困难 for Wuhan Three Towns. "For me as a new CSL coach, it is a challenge. Our away performance is not good, but we must focus on the upcoming matches. The next game is at home, we must prepare well and make changes in the match," Mora stated.

Wuhan Three Towns, with负分仍旧未能清零, if it cannot及时正视防守漏洞,梳理进攻体系, including矫正球员态度, the深渊 of relegation will also凝视着球队.

The remaining schedule in April接下来 is十分艰难 for Three Towns, with three opponents分别是 Chengdu Rongcheng, Zhejiang Team, and Shanghai Port. Wanting to solve all problems短时间有一定难度, but一切改变 must start from态度.