A player from Hangzhou (in white) fights to control the ball. [Photo/Hangzhou Daily]

The first-stage round-robin schedule of the 2026 Zhejiang City Football League, also known as the Wuyue Cup, has passed the halfway mark, with the eighth round set for this weekend.

Hangzhou currently sits second in the standings with five wins, one draw and one loss after seven matches. The team needs just one point at home against Zhoushan on May 10 to secure an early place in the knockout-stage quarterfinals.

After opening the season with a draw against Huzhou, Hangzhou went on a four-game winning streak before suffering their first defeat — a 2-0 home loss to Jinhua in Round 6. The team quickly bounced back, however, defeating Taizhou 2-1 away in the last round thanks to second-half goals from Wu Haoyi and Jin Yihang.

Led by league top scorer Wu Haoyi, Hangzhou has scored 11 goals so far, second only to table leaders Ningbo. A win over Zhoushan would further strengthen Hangzhou's push near the top of the table.

Zhoushan, meanwhile, is fighting to stay inside the top eight. With two wins and four losses from six matches, it is locked in a tight battle for the final knockout spots and is expected to go all out in Hangzhou.

At the top of the standings, Ningbo has already secured a quarterfinal berth after recording six wins and one draw in seven games. While at the other end of the table, Shaoxing is still searching for their first win of the season, collecting just one point from seven matches and facing near-elimination from the playoff race.

A player from Hangzhou (in blue) competes during a match. [Photo/Hangzhou Daily]