With the clock striking September 15, the Chinese Super League will be back in action, with the tournament set to get underway in Beijing time. The 25th round of the tournament will be staged in three days, and the match between Beijing Guoan and Zhejiang is undoubtedly the most popular focus of the top 8 matchups. The two Shanghai teams are ranked well, but both have encountered some challenges to a greater or lesser extent.
In this round, Beijing Guoan, who are tied for fourth in the table, and Zhejiang, who are fifth, will have a summit showdown. The winner may leapfrog to the top three. Difficulties abound against Zhejiang, who are playing on the road, in what will be the first of their three consecutive road trips. Immediately after that, they have an AFC Champions League match against Buriram.
For Shanghai Shenhua, Zhu Chenjie, Jiang Shenglong, Dai Weijun and other core players have been called up by the Asian Games team, and their strength has been damaged. Henan will be difficult to resist the team's return to form on the road, as their overall strength has been greatly reduced. If they lose, they may not only be left behind by Taishan, but also be overtaken by Guoan or Zhejiang, who are right behind them.
In the national team's recent warm-up matches, the starters started consecutively, resulting in damage to their physical reserves and challenges to their form and mindset adjustment. Before the national team match day, they failed to win in four consecutive matches, even including the AFC Champions League play-offs. Against Changchun Yatai in this round, the challenge is equally tough.
Elsewhere, Shandong Taishan and Qingdao Hainiu will play the "Qilu Derby" in Jinan, while Wuhan Sanzhen, who have lost their midfield core, will face the challenge of Cangzhou Lions, who are speculating whether or not to stay in their AFC Champions League debut. The three relegation teams, Shenzhen, Nantong Zhiyun and Dalian People, will challenge Meizhou Hakka, Chengdu Rongcheng and Tianjin Jinmen Tiger respectively in this round, and each victory may be a key step on their way to relegation.
