Tianjin Teda have handed themselves a fighting chance to retain their Chinese top flight status with a 3-1 victory over Dalian Yifang on Wednesday, and perhaps in honor of the injured Mikel Obi.
Mikel suffered from a muscle injury during training with his team earlier in the week and as a result missed Wednesday’s home win.
That victory saw Tianjin Teda climb out of the red zone to 12th on the log, but are tied on points with the bottom four teams our of the five directly below.
Per Ayo Ibidapo the midfielder has suffered from fitness issues since the World Cup in Russia, restricting him to just 7 appearances since July.
“We are in a difficult situation right now. We know the importance of the remaining matches. I’m solidly behind the team and I believe the guys will do the job on the pitch and ensure we remain in the top flight,” the Nigeria international said.
