The Rongcheng side leapfrogged unbeaten Shenhua to move into second place in the table, but are six points adrift of leaders Shanghai Port, with the catch-up a long way off. Tianjin Jinmen Tigers secured a top-five spot with a win, while Wuhan Sanzhen's crucial mistake led to a stagnant ranking. Guoan and Taishan, two of the Chinese Super League's most powerful teams, are not far apart in the rankings, with a similar number of goals scored and conceded in the first ten rounds. Zhejiang has risen sharply in the rankings recently, climbing straight from the bottom to the top ten with seven points in the last three rounds, as if they have come out of the haze of the beginning of the season.
The rise of the Shenzhen team has been staggering. Although the strength is not top-notch, it is not bad compared to the configuration of the lineup. The Cangzhou Lions and Meizhou Hakka are mavericks and often surprising. The bottom-ranked Henan and Dalian teams both face lineup changes, but the situation is different. Dalian's consecutive losses were shocking. Qingdao Hainiu and Nantong Zhiyun, as promoted teams, had limited investment at the beginning of the season and naturally had mediocre results.
Changchun Yatai 0-3 Shanghai Port
Changchun Yatai performed moderately well in the previous rounds, but with ups and downs and slightly unstable defense. In this round at the Changchun Sports Center, Yatai adopted a 442 formation, with Brazilian foreigners Leonard and Cao Yongheng partnering the front line, the midfield led by Wang Jinxian and Tan Long, and the back line partnered by Bi Jinhao and Danish foreigner Okore.
Shanghai Port performed well in both offense and defense. With Shenhua's undefeated in this round, Shanghai Harbor leads with 6 points. Harbour lined up a 433 formation in Changchun, with Brazilian foreigner Paulinho and Sierra Leonean foreigner Issa Kallon forming the attacking group.
Referee Wang Jing is from Guizhou and the two assistant referees are Cao Yi from Henan and Tang Rongdi from Chongqing. Dalian's Gao Peng served as the fourth official and VAR referee Xing Qi was from Zhejiang.
Shanghai Port started the match on the back foot, with Karon scoring in the 11th minute. Paulinho added a second in the 18th minute to give Shanghai Port a two-goal lead. In the last minute of the first half, Oscar scored from a free kick to extend Shanghai Port's lead. Before the end of the half, Cao Yongju clashed with Leonard.
Shanghai Port won on the road, making it five wins in a row and ten rounds unbeaten. Oscar's free kick demonstrated the high level of the Chinese Super League. With the away win, Harbour reached 26 points, six points ahead of Rongcheng, consolidating its top position. Changchun Yatai, undefeated for three rounds, remained in fifth place with 17 points after tactical errors in the first half and failing to turn things around in the second.
In the Central League standings, Heilongjiang Bingcheng 1-0 Shanghai Jiading Huilong, Dongguan United 1-1 Qingdao West Coast, Jinan Xingzhou 2-0 Yanbian Longding, Guangxi Pingguoha 4-0 Liaoning Shenyang City, Nanjing 3-2 Guangzhou team 3-2, Sichuan Jiuiuiu 2-Suzhou Dongwu, Shijiazhuang Kungfu 4-0 Wuxi Wu Hook, Jiangxi Lushan 1-0 Dandong Tengyue.
Qingdao West Coast was undefeated on the road at the end of the seventh round, resulting in the ranking being overtaken by Guangxi Pingguo. Sichuan Jiuniu and Nanjing both scored three points to overtake their rivals. Jinan Xingzhou ranked fifth, while Shijiazhuang Kungfu and Heilongjiang Bingcheng scored consecutive points to climb from the bottom to the top. Shenyang City and Jiading Huilong performed poorly and the coaching staff need to adjust their strategies. Jiangxi Lushan got rid of the bottom and is expected to continue to rebound. Guangzhou's all-Chinese youth team needs to look for opportunities in the transfer window. Wuxi Wu Hook is not strong enough and has poor results.
