Shanghai Shenhua were held to a 1-1 draw by Chengdu Rongcheng at home on Sunday during the 15th matchday of the season, but they maintain a narrow one-point lead over city rivals Shanghai Port at the top of the Chinese Super League (CSL) standings.
The match began dramatically when, in the fourth minute, Shenhua’s Jiang Shenglong inadvertently scored an own goal following a corner delivered by Chengdu’s Romulo da Silva. Undeterred, Shenhua responded swiftly; in the 16th minute, Yu Hanchao linked up with Cephas Malele, who expertly found the far corner of the net to level the score at 1-1. The second half saw Chengdu’s Tim Chow head the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside, leaving both teams to share the points.
In another fixture, Qingdao Hainiu secured a 1-0 victory over Cangzhou Mighty Lions on the road. The decisive moment came early, as just two minutes into the match, Wang Jianming found Elvis Saric, who set up Diego Lopes. The Brazilian midfielder made no mistake from close range, scoring the only goal of the match.
This win marks Qingdao’s second consecutive victory, while Cangzhou’s woes deepen as their winless streak extends to nine matches, comprising two draws and seven defeats.
Cover image: Fans of Shanghai Shenhua hold banners next to their team-themed bus in Shanghai, China, April 14, 2024. /CFP
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Shenhua draw with Chengdu, Qingdao extend Cangzhou's winless run to 9
cgtn.com
