With Chengdu's 5-1 victory over Yunnan and Shenhua's 2-0 win against Qingdao Hainiu, the latest Chinese Super League standings have changed: the top spot has switched hands again.

On August 24th Beijing time, the 22nd round of the Chinese Super League matches heated up. Two games concluded last night: newly promoted Yunnan suffered a heavy 1-5 defeat to Chengdu, while Qingdao Hainiu lost 0-2 to Shanghai Shenhua. Consequently, the latest standings have been updated, with the top spot changing hands again, Shenhua leading after an extra game, Chengdu rising to second, Yunnan in ninth, and Hainiu second from bottom!

Yunnan versus Chengdu. Both teams had recently lost in the FA Cup; Yunnan was defeated 0-7 with one player less against Guoan, while Chengdu was eliminated by Henan in a penalty shootout. The short interval between matches in this round of the Super League posed a significant test of stamina for both teams. Yunnan overestimated themselves and surprisingly engaged in an attacking battle with Chengdu. The first half ended 1-1 with each team scoring once. However, the second half spiraled out of control as Yunnan’s defense collapsed, allowing Chengdu to launch an overwhelming offense and easily break through to score. Eventually, Chengdu scored four more goals to secure a commanding 5-1 away win, taking all three points and temporarily climbing to second place!

Qingdao Hainiu faced off against Shenhua. Shenhua had recently stalled with three winless rounds, losing their top position. Facing the struggling Hainiu, who were deep in relegation trouble, Shenhua aimed to bounce back. After the match started, Shenhua organized several attacks but struggled to score, with many chances going wasted. Just as time was running out, in stoppage time, Chen Jin swept across the goal line and Yu Hanchao rushed in to score a decisive winner. Shenhua pressed on, and Liu Chengyu added a goal on a counterattack to seal a 2-0 shutout against Qingdao Hainiu. In a bizarre moment late in the game, Hainiu’s Zhang Chi, during a counterattack, attempted a shot from midfield which was easily saved by the goalkeeper, missing a clear opportunity!

As a result, the updated standings show that the gap among the top four is very narrow—only 4 points separate them—meaning a single match’s outcome could greatly alter rankings, intensifying the battle for first place. Additionally, the relegation situation has shifted; Hainiu’s points have increased significantly, and if they perform above expectations and win, escaping the relegation zone remains possible!

Written by Sports Fiction