The Chinese Super League (CSL) entered the final second round with table-leading Shanghai Seaports hosting second-placed Shandong Taishan, who could win the CSL title with an undefeated result. The match between the two teams was much more dramatic than the 1:1 draw in the first round. The first leg was a highly publicized match, with both teams locked in a tight battle and Fellaini causing controversy when his goal was disallowed. However, there was no major conflict between the players of the two teams, except that Fellaini had a disagreement with the referee and even threw away the captain's armband in protest.
This time the duel was renewed and both Shanghai Harbor and Shandong Taishan became tense as their players engaged in a fierce confrontation with a fiery atmosphere, showing the ruthless side of the championship game. However, they failed to focus on the game itself, much to their regret, and the proceedings sparked widespread skepticism. Shanghai Harbour were clearly dominant in this match, with a squad of players worth a total of 219 million euros, roughly equivalent to 200 million yuan, and a lineup that is unique in the Chinese Super League. Head coach Xavier chose a 343 formation, with 11 players - Wu Lei, Oscar, Cai Huikang, Lu Wenjun, Xu Xin, Li Shuai, Zhang Linpeng, Jiang Guangtai, Li Ang, Wang Shenchao and Yan Junling - starting the match. Shandong Taishan opted for a 4231 formation, with 11 players - Fellaini, Moises, Chen Pu, Liu Binbin, Li Yuanyi, Liao Lisheng, Liu Yang, Zheng Zheng, Shi Ke, Wang Tong and Wang Dalei - starting.
Shanghai Seaport was more efficient in the beginning of the match. In the 16th minute, Zhang Linpeng assisted Lu Wenjun in front of the goal, giving Shanghai Seaport a 1-0 lead. In the 34th minute, Wu Lei stepped forward to face the attacking goalkeeper and scored, but the goal was disallowed due to a handball foul by Xu Xin. In the 42nd minute, there was a dramatic change on the pitch as a conflict arose between Lu Wenjun and Chen Pu, which escalated into a large-scale clash. Referee Maimeti Jiang calmed down the clash and showed Lu Wenjun and Chen Pu a yellow card each. Lv Wenjun had already been shown a yellow card earlier and was therefore shown a red card.
Harbour were in an unbalanced mood as a man was sent off. In the 43rd minute of the match, Choi Huikang clashed with Moises and the referee showed red cards to both of them. In the 45th minute of the match, Harbour's head coach Javier protested strongly and was also red-carded by the referee. In the second half, Shandong Taishan had a chance to turn the game around with their numerical advantage. However, Fernando, who came on as a substitute, was not calm either. In the 75th minute of the game, Fernando was put down by a defender after he overtook the ball and Fernando retaliated directly by knocking the opponent down. The referee showed Fernando a red card and the game on the field became a nine-on-nine. In the 88th minute, Cressan's long-distance shot went close, but the goalkeeper made the save. Shi Ke followed up with an assist and Xie Wen managed to parry the shot to equalize the score and Shanghai Harbour drew 1-1 with Shandong Taishan.
Throughout the match, Shanghai Seaport had an exceptionally dramatic performance, with only 29% possession, 4-20 shots on goal and 1-8 shots on target compared to Shandong Taishan's. In the end, the match ended in a 1-1 draw and turned into a tenacious battle. Referee Mai Mai Tijiang became the biggest focus of the match, showing 15 cards in total, including 4 yellow and 3 red cards for Seaport and 6 yellow and 2 red cards for Taishan. Despite the game spiraling out of control, Shanghai Seaport managed to make history with their powerful 200 million dollar squad, becoming the two-time champions of the Chinese Super League and winning the Chinese Super League trophy for the second time.
