In the afternoon of the same day, Nanjing, the powerhouse of the Central League, and Chengdu Rongcheng engaged in a fierce competition. As the only representative of the Central League in the top eight, Nanjing's presence undoubtedly added a touch of uncertainty to the tournament and brought great pressure to Chengdu Rongcheng. Chengdu Rongcheng showed courage in the face of their barefoot opponents. The win over Chengdu was tough, but the loss was justified. Thankfully, the top three teams in the league table, Shandong Taishan and Guoan, are both behind, so Chengdu Rongcheng does not need to worry about the intensive schedule of double fronts.On August 22nd, at 19:35, Shenhua will face Beijing Guoan at home.
The match will be the second derby between Beijing and Shanghai in August, following the Aug. 4 showdown between Guoan and Shenhua in the 21st round of the Chinese Super League, and the two sides will meet again in 17 days. With Shenhua's Manafa suffering a serious injury and only four foreigners available for the FA Cup, whether Guoan's head coach can hold out until the quarterfinals will depend on the performance of the Chinese Super League as well as Shenhua. Shanghai Shenhua is going all out to win the Chinese Super League this year, and the match between Jinmen Tigers and Shanghai Port will be played on the same day. Playing four matches over two days, the winners will compete for a place in the last four, with the winners of the top and bottom halves facing each other directly.
Jinmen Tigers have been quite lucky this season. Originally, the team had half given up on the AFC Cup, but they surprised Yu Genwei by winning through a tie and penalty kicks. Despite Jinmen Tigers' recent poor record, the competition for the AFC Cup has become an important goal for the team this year. Taishan's players such as Zeka, Kressan and Li Yuan are the key to winning the title. Chengdu Rongcheng is limited to a maximum of three foreigners, with Felipe, Romulo and Palacios expected to play. Guoan will field a starting lineup, while Shanghai Shenhua will need to make adjustments based on player injuries. The AFC Cup winners will directly qualify for next season's AFC Champions League, an extremely valuable spot.
