According to a report by reporter Ahn Dae-joo for International Focus, the win at the Cixi Sports Center in Zhejiang Province propelled Yanbian into provisional second place in the standings with 35 points after 20 rounds.
The top two teams at the end of the League One season earn direct promotion to the Chinese Super League. With this latest result, Yanbian stretched its winning streak to two matches, while Ningbo remained stuck on 25 points after failing to secure a win in their last four outings.
Giovanni’s Scoring Streak Drives Yanbian Charge
Giovanni anchored the Yanbian attack by scoring three goals, following up on his previous hat-trick against Dalian Kuncheng in the 19th round. His performance brings his tally to six goals across his last two appearances. He opened the scoring in the 31st minute by chasing a long ball from midfield, lifting a delicate chip shot over the advancing Ningbo goalkeeper.
Ningbo equalized in the 37th minute when Gao Haicheng sent a cross from the left wing to Leonardo, who chested the ball down and turned to fire a volley past the Yanbian defense.
Second-Half Exchanges and Late Penalty Drama
Yanbian reclaimed the lead immediately after halftime. In the 1st minute of the second half, Dominguez supplied a pass to Giovanni, who converted another chip shot past the goalkeeper. Giovanni completed his hat-trick in the 14th minute by tapping in a cross from Huang Zhenfei on the right side into an empty net, extending Yanbian’s lead to 3-1.
Ningbo mounted a late response in the 89th minute when Leonardo drew a foul from Duan Dezhi inside the penalty area. Leonardo converted the resulting penalty kick himself to narrow the deficit to 3-2. Yanbian managed to withstand the home side’s attacking pressure during stoppage time to preserve the one-goal margin and secure the three points.