With the eighth round of the 2023 Chinese Super League (CSL) season in the books, the field of play was in a state of flux and excitement. In three tightly-contested matchups, Shanghai Seaport beat Meizhou Hakka on the road, while Henan won a hard-fought battle against Dalian. Tianjin Jinmen Tigers had a strong start, but finally shook hands with Shandong Taishan.
In the matchup between Meizhou Hakka and Shanghai Port, the former hosted Rodriguez in uniform, with a midfield led by Yang Chaochao, Shi Liang, Li Yongjia, and Ye Chugui, and a defense guarded by Rao Weihui, Pan Ximing, Chen Zhechao, Ru Zinan, and Du Galiqi, with Cheng Yuelei holding down the fort.
On Shanghai Port's side, Paulinho and Wu Lei joined hands in the front line, Oscar was in the center, Lu Wenjun, Muzhehmeti, Cai Huikang and Issa Kallon guarded the midfield, Wang Shenchao, Jiang Guangtai and Zhang Linpeng were in charge of the back line, and Yan Junling guarded the goal.
As soon as the game started, Shanghai Port quickly took control of the tempo and launched an onslaught of attacks. In the 26th minute, Lu Wenjun broke the deadlock with a brilliant shot. In the second half, Shanghai Port's attack continued and the advantage gradually expanded. At the crucial moment, Wu Lei added another goal to seal the 2-0 victory and help his team to win all three points.
Shanghai Seaport won on the road, undefeated for eight consecutive rounds, jumping to the top of the Chinese Super League. Meizhou Hakka, on the other hand, suffered consecutive defeats and maintained their total score of eight points to stay in the tenth place.
The match between Henan and Dalian was also a thrilling one, with Henan hosting the home side and Kovic's goal earning the team a 1-0 victory. Henan moved up to 7 points and escaped the relegation zone.
In the match between Tianjin Jinmen Tigers and Shandong Taishan, both sides went back and forth in a fierce confrontation. Tianjin scored twice in the opening half, but Taishan counterattacked with Moises, Liao Lixiang and Chen Pu. In the second half, Tianjin equalized with a goal by Jadason, resulting in a 3-3 draw.
Despite playing on the road, Taishan was not discouraged and quickly adjusted their strategy to bounce back. Unfortunately, they were not able to pocket the victory.
Goals rained down in this round of the league, with 8 matches yielding a total of 29 goals, much to the delight of the fans. Shanghai Port returned to the top of the table, with a 2-point difference from Shenhua. Tianjin Jinmen Tigers still have a chance to hit the top three despite the draw with Shandong Taishan.
