Huaian Team won a five-goal thriller 3-2 at Xuzhou Team in the Jiangsu City Football League on Saturday, 12 September 2026, surviving a tense finale after a second-half burst had put them in command of a wildly entertaining contest.

The 19:40 kick-off delivered everything the competition has come to be known for: end-to-end football, a lead that changed hands, a late fightback and a finish that had both benches on their feet.

Match overview

Xuzhou started brightly and were rewarded with the opening goal, but Huaian responded with the calm of a side that has learned to weather early pressure on the road. A burst of two goals either side of the interval turned the game on its head, and when Huaian added a third it looked as though the points were safe. Xuzhou had other ideas, pulling one back and pushing hard for an equaliser that never quite arrived.

How the goals came

• 12' — Xu Mingzhe (Xuzhou): A driving run from midfield ended with a deflected effort that looped beyond the goalkeeper and in off the underside of the bar.
• 29' — Zhou Junhao (Huaian): Huaian's response was swift — a low cross from the left was converted at the near post after a clever near-post run.
• 48' — Liu Chenyang (Huaian): Straight after the restart, Huaian won the ball high up the pitch and Liu curled a fine effort into the far corner from the edge of the box.
• 67' — Zhou Junhao (Huaian): His second of the night, a header from a deep free-kick, gave the visitors a two-goal cushion.
• 88' — Gao Wenbo (Xuzhou): A late consolation turned into a genuine grandstand finish as Gao smashed home from close range after a scramble.

Tactical story

Xuzhou's approach was direct and aggressive, with two quick wide players looking to get behind the Huaian full-backs. It worked in the opening quarter of an hour but left them exposed once they tired, and Huaian's midfield gradually took charge of the central areas.

Huaian's most important quality was their ruthlessness in transition. Twice in the opening fifteen minutes of the second half they won possession in Xuzhou's half and scored within a handful of passes, and that efficiency is what ultimately separated the two sides.

Standout performers

Zhou Junhao was the outstanding player on the pitch, scoring twice and holding the ball up superbly to relieve pressure when Xuzhou pressed late. Liu Chenyang's goal was the moment of the match, a beautifully struck effort from distance, while Gao Wenbo's late strike was just reward for a tireless display in a losing cause.

What it means for the Jiangsu City Football League table

Three away goals and three away points give Huaian real momentum in the Jiangsu City Football League standings, and a two-game winning run is exactly the kind of form that reshapes a season's expectations. For Xuzhou, the defeat is a frustrating one — they scored twice at home and still lost — and questions about their defensive organisation in the ten minutes after half-time will need answering.

The result also serves as a reminder of how tight this competition is: with so many teams capable of scoring three on any given evening, matches in the Jiangsu City Football League are rarely settled until the closing stages.