Shanghai Seaports welcome Shandong Taishan to their home ground in the Super League sprint stage, and a duel for the title is about to take place. Shanghai Seaports can lock up the Super League title if they remain undefeated. The 1-1 draw in the first leg already left the game in doubt, with Fellaini's disallowed goal sparking controversy. Although there was no significant conflict between the players of the two teams, Fellaini's argument with the referee even led to him throwing down his captain's armband.
The tension between the two teams intensified as a new round of matchups began. The players fought fiercely against each other and the smell of gunpowder was so strong that the brutality of the championship was evident. However, the players did not seem to be fully committed during the match, sparking widespread skepticism. Shanghai Harbour prevailed with a total value of 219 million euros and a unique lineup that stands out in the Chinese Super League. Coach Javier fielded a 343 formation, including powerhouse players such as Wu Lei and Oscar, while Shandong Taishan met the match with a 4231 formation. At the beginning of the match, Shanghai Harbour showed an efficient offense. In the 16th minute, Zhang Linpeng assisted Lu Wenjun to break the goal and take a 1-0 lead. However, in the 34th minute, Wu Lei's shot was interrupted by Xu Xin's handball foul and the goal was invalidated. In the 42nd minute, Lv Wenjun clashed with Chen Pu, which escalated into a large-scale clash, both sides were shown yellow cards, and Lv Wenjun was sent off for accumulating yellow cards. The Harbour team was demoralized and in the 43rd minute, Cai Huikang and Moises clashed again and both were sent off with red cards. Coach Javier's protest in the 45th minute of the match also attracted a red card. In the second half, Taishan had a clear numerical advantage, and Fernando came on as a substitute but was red-carded for a retaliatory foul, turning the situation into a nine-on-nine affair. In the 88th minute, Cressan's long-distance shot nearly broke the goal, Shi Ke followed up with an assist, Xie Wen parried the goal, 1-1 draw. Throughout the game, Shanghai Harbor's ball possession was only 29%, and the number of shots and shots on goal were far lower than Shandong Taishan. Despite the game getting out of hand, the Seaports managed to make history with their strong squad, becoming the two-time champions of the Chinese Super League and winning the Chinese Super League trophy for the second time. Referee Mai Mai Tijiang was the focus of the match, showing 15 cards in total, with 4 yellows and 3 reds for Harbour and 6 yellows and 2 reds for Taishan.
