The 28th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) on November 30th saw a number of key matches come to an end. Taishan and Wuhan both suffered defeats, while Zhejiang beat Guoan and Seaport lost their third consecutive match. Two horse teams stood out in the AFC Champions League promotion list.
On the table, Wuhan Sanzhen is still at the top of the table, with 21 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses, leading the team with 79 goals scored and 25 goals conceded, despite their defeat against Changchun Yatai this round. The team is followed by Shandong Luneng, which has 35 points with Wuhan Sanzhen, but is in second place with a narrow gap between the number of goals scored and the number of goals conceded.
Taishan suffered two first-half breakthroughs from Jose Kanter in their clash with Cangzhou Lions. Although Wu Xinghan pulled a goal back in the second half, Kanter's long-distance shot widened the gap again. In the end, Taishan was defeated 2-3, with Cangzhou Lions having a 75% shooting efficiency.
Taishan have lost two of their last three matches, providing Wuhan Sanzhen with the opportunity to take the lead later in the game. Although Wuhan Sanzhen did not show strong dominance at home against Changchun Yatai, once trailing by two goals and then equalizing, they eventually failed to score due to an udon goal. It is worth noting that Sanzhen's centerpiece, Stancho, choked Eric with his hand and head-butted his opponent during the match, and although the referee did not call a penalty, the CFA may impose an additional penalty.
Another highlight of the round was the match between Zhejiang and Beijing Guoan. Zhejiang faced Guoan with 49 points. In the first half, Yu Dabao's goal was offside and ineffective, and Mu Xiekui assisted Evolo's goal; in the second half, Frank and Wang Ziming scored respectively, but Wang Ziming's goal was offside and ineffective. In the end, Zhejiang beat Guoan 2-0, ushering in their fourth consecutive win. Meanwhile, the consecutively defeated Harbor team faced Henan Songshan Longmen and finally lost 1-3.
After two strong matchups, Zhejiang team took sole possession of the third place and became a strong contender for the AFC Champions League playoffs. It is worth mentioning that the phenomenon of the three promoted horses in the AFC Champions League occupying sole possession of two seats is rare.
In the next round, Taishan will continue to host Shenzhen, while Wuhan Sanzhen will challenge Cangzhou Lions on the road.
