Last season's runner-up squad Jiangsu Suning FC has settled for a 0-0 draw with lowly team Tianjin Teda FC in a 2017 Chinese Super League second round match held at their home field of Nanjing Olympic Sports Center on Friday.

Jiangsu's top import, Brazilian Alex Teixeira, was suspended for the match after getting booked with a red card in stoppage time of their previous 0-4 loss to a Carlos Tevez-led Shanghai Greenland Shenhua side at the Hongkou Stadium on March 5. Teixeira's compatriot Ramires was available in this game after missing their season-opener against Shenhua, but the former Chelsea standout's presence did not do anything to affect the outcome of the match.

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Head coach Choi Yong-soo's side is now winless and goalless in their first two fixtures in the China top-flight this season after Suning had also lost the 2017 Chinese FA Super Cup to Guangzhou Evergrande, 0-1, at the Chongqing Olympic Sports Center last month.

Jiangsu is faring better in the 2017 AFC Champions League, though, winning their first two group stage matches. The team nipped South Kore's Jeju United, 1-0, on Feb. 22 at the Jeju World Cup Stadium before pulling off a 2-1 victory over A-League champions Adelaide United also at their home ground in Nanjing on March 1 to top Group H competitions in the said tournament.

Tianjin Teda head coach Jaime Pacheco made a significant adjustment against Jiangsu by placing Nigeria international John Obi Mikel, Ramires' former Chelsea teammate, at central defense instead of his usual spot in the midfield. The Portuguese mentor is said to be concerned about his team's lack of defense, prompting him to put the 6-foot-2 Obi Mikel as one of the central defenders, the Nation Online reported.

Obi Mikel's Nigeria teammate, Brown Ideye, made his debut for the Tianjin Tigers but failed to fulfill his recent promise of scoring goals as soon as he suits up on the pitch for Teda. Ideye, who was signed by Tianjin two weeks ago, played the whole 90 minutes without a goal, as per the Daily Post.

TagsChinese Super League, Chinese Super League 2017, 2017 Chinese Super League, Jiangsu Suning FC, Tianjin Teda FC