Chengdu Rongcheng surged to the summit of the Chinese Super League (CSL) after edging Shanghai Shenhua 1-0 in a tense top-of-the-table clash on Friday. A packed stadium in Sichuan Province witnessed Romulo, the former Brazil U23 forward, secure the decisive goal in the 27th minute amid a pulsating first half.
Shanghai Shenhua nearly opened the scoring earlier when Zhu Chenjie’s header rattled the crossbar, but Chengdu capitalized on the momentum shift. Despite Shenhua’s second-half pressure – including a Joao Teixeira free kick that hit the post – the visitors fell short, with Teixeira later dismissed for a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Elsewhere, Qingdao West Coast dominated Meizhou Hakka 3-1, climbing to seventh place. Davidson’s thunderous long-range strike set up Abdul-Aziz Yakubu’s opener, followed by Duan Liuyu and Nelson da Luz extending the lead. Meizhou’s late consolation came via Branimir Jocic.
After 10 matchdays, the CSL standings see Chengdu and Shenhua leading, followed by Beijing Guoan and defending champions Shanghai Port. The intensified rivalry signals a fiercely competitive season ahead.
