On December 1, Sports Weekly reporter Ma Dexing disclosed that Zhejiang beat Buriram United in the current round of the AFC Champions League, widening the technical points gap between the Chinese Super League and the Thai Super League to one point.
Zhejiang won a come-from-behind 3-2 victory at home in the AFC Champions League, but the situation on the field after the match is a cause for concern. The AFC's penalties are not yet clear, and this could have a major impact on Zhejiang's qualification for next season's AFC Champions League.
The win is significant for the Chinese Super League, as the CSL and the Thai Super League are in direct contact with each other in the AFC Technical Points Rankings. Currently, the Chinese Super League is ranked seventh in Asia, while the Thai Super League is ranked eighth; in East Asia, the Chinese Super League is ranked third, while the Thai Super League is ranked fourth. The Technical Points Ranking is directly linked to the future allocation of seats in the Asian Elite League and the AFC Champions League.
Before the start of the group stage, the technical points of the Chinese Super League teams were equal to Thailand's, both with 6.233 points. After the fifth round of group matches, the Chinese Super League team won 2 and lost 1, the technical points rose to 8.233 points, while only Bangkok United among the three Thai teams won, the technical points of the Thai Super League became 7.233 points. Zhejiang's victory enabled the Chinese Super League to overtake the Thai Super League's technical points.
If Zhejiang fails to win, the technical points of the Chinese Super League will be reversed by one point by the Thai Super League. If the two teams draw, the technical points will remain unchanged. Therefore, Zhejiang's victory is crucial, not only to retain the hope of qualifying, but also to win a head start for the Chinese Super League in the allocation of AFC Champions League seats.
