The 28th round of the Chinese Super League has not yet come to an end, but the map of the table has been roughly finalized. For now, our attention is focused on the fight for points and rankings. The top three remain unchanged, while the relegation of the bottom is yet to be revealed. In fact, the Super League title race may be out of reach in the penultimate round. Both Taishan and Hong Kong need a win to stay on top.
Hong Kong topped the table with a five-point lead, followed by Taishan in second place with a three-point gap.
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Unless they lose two consecutive games, the title will be up for grabs. Based on Taishan's past record, they can keep the lead even if they draw. During Shanghai's break, Taishan played consecutive matches and suffered significant physical exhaustion.
Hong Kong just need to draw with Taishan and get their defense in place. Taishan will need to make sure their goals are scored efficiently if they want to keep the suspense alive. Although the title is not in doubt, the battle for the league's second place is still fierce. If Taishan wins in the next round, they can lock up the runner-up spot. However, other teams are close to each other in terms of points, so the pattern of the top three is still uncertain.
Shenhua are on course for a runners-up finish, while the battle for third place is stabilizing. Although Guoan and Zhejiang still have a chance, Shenhua only needs one win to lock up the third place.
Theoretically, Guoan and Sanzhen could catch up with Shenhua, but the points difference is only one game. Taishan is 5 points ahead of Zhejiang, and Guoan is 6 points ahead, so Guoan can't catch up. Zhejiang wants to overtake Shenhua and must beat them in the last game. Therefore, the Taishan team is firmly in the top three, but the battle for the runner-up is still in doubt.
Shenhua and Zhejiang are crucial matches, with the winners securing the top three. Guoan's next opponents are Shenzhen and Chengdu Rongcheng. Guoan is expected to win easily against Shenzhen, and the battle for the third place in the league will become more and more intense, but Shenhua's performance will play a key role. Taishan drew with Shanghai and remain unchanged.
The relegation situation depends on the result of the next round of matches, and the match between Manatees and Dalian will decide who will succeed in relegation. Although Manatees will fight for the win, it is still unknown whether they can score goals or not. Dalian will mainly give chances and have limited ability to score goals. This game will decide the relegation fate, Meizhou Hakka and Sea Bulls may face a round of failure.
In the current standings, there are still unanswered questions to be answered with the exception of the champions and relegated teams, but most of the rankings have been settled.
