With the 2021 Chinese Super League (CSL) season kicking off on April 20, just half a month before the start of the tournament, teams in the CSL are gearing up to prepare for their matches. This weekend, many teams will start the warm-up before the league, in order to test the effectiveness of winter training. Although it is difficult to fully reflect the strength of the teams in the warm-up matches, it is still possible to get a glimpse of the situation from the matches. Who among the title contenders are in the most solid form this season and are expected to lead the way in the first five rounds? Let's find out the answer from the warm-up matches.
Although the CFA has not yet announced the specific schedule for the new season, the first round of the Chinese Super League is expected to be only five rounds, taking into account the 40-team tournament. Observing the current preparation of the teams, in addition to Guangzhou, Shanghai Harbor, Beijing Guoan and Shandong Taishan, Shanghai Shenhua and Shenzhen team should not be underestimated. Especially the Shenzhen team in the winter transfer window big action, the goal is aimed directly at the qualification of the AFC Champions League.
Since March, the warm-up data show that Shanghai Harbor, Shenzhen and Shanghai Shenhua have the strength to hit the top of the list, while the "eight champions" Guangzhou team due to personnel shortages of strength is damaged. Shandong Taishan's recent situation is not good, four warm-up games, a win, a draw and two losses, conceding 13 goals, the absence of the main foreign aid greatly affected. Beijing Guoan's performance in the last two warm-up matches was also poor, first 2:3 against Nantong Zhiyun of the Central League, and then 0:0 draw with Zhejiang, the main Augusto and Fernando could not return to the team, the first round of the performance of the worrying.
Guangzhou, the eight-time Chinese Super League (CSL) champions, have been low-key this season, not playing any warm-up matches recently due to injuries and players' national team training. In their latest warm-up match, they beat Zhejiang, an all-Chinese team, 6-2 on March 19th. So far, Guangzhou has played 4 warm-up matches, with a record of 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss, with their only defeat coming on February 27th, 3:4 against Cangzhou Lions. Due to player injuries and Talisca and Paulinho's inability to return, the fighting power of the new season is expected to be greatly reduced.
In contrast, Shanghai's two teams have had a much better warm-up, with all their foreign aid in place. on April 3, Shanghai Seaport won 4:1 against Suzhou Dongwu of the Central League, going undefeated in eight matches in the warm-up. Before that, they also beat Qingdao 3:0 and Shandong Taishan 5:0, a stunning performance. The only problem for Shanghai Seaport at the moment is that foreign aid Mystorovic is out for the season due to injury, but it has little impact on the team as a whole. Shanghai Shenhua beat Henan Songshan Longmen 2:1 in a warm-up match on the same day, with some players absent due to national soccer training and injuries, but the team is in good shape overall.
