The defending champions Harbour suffered a heavy blow in the Super Cup battle. Although they recruited in the winter window, brought in strong reinforcements such as Gustavo and Jussa, and retained their core players, they did not perform as strongly as expected in the face of Shenhua's challenge. The strength of the foreign aid lineup and the thickness of the international players' support seem to have been knocked back by injuries overnight. However, the league is long and the road to the championship is full of variables. Muscat's tactical layout and the harbor's heritage still make them the favorites to win the title this season.
Harbour's stability issues need to be addressed, and the form of new recruits Gustavo and Jussa, as well as Wu Lei's athleticism, are unknown. Meanwhile, Taishan are regarded as the favorites to win the title this season, with their impressive performance in the AFC Champions League and remarkable results in terms of reinforcements. However, the injury of new recruit Zeca has become a big problem for them.
Shenhua and Guoan are also actively preparing for the new season, with Shenhua showing new vitality after the change of manager and Guoan strengthening their defense through reinforcements. Chengdu, as the team in the first group for two consecutive years, has brought in a large number of players in the winter window, and their strength has taken a qualitative leap. However, they still need to prove they can compete for the title.
As for the relegation situation, Cangzhou Lions and Nantong Zhiyun may face the risk of relegation, their reinforcements and team conditions are not optimistic. Newcomers Shenzhen Xinpengcheng and Qingdao West Coast, although not bad, but the possibility of becoming a dark horse is not big, their primary goal should be relegation.
The problem of unpaid wages still exists, which poses a hidden concern for the development of Chinese soccer. In addition, the enforcement scale of the referees and the credibility of the Football Association in the new season have also come under scrutiny.
