Chinese Super League Round 26 Wrap-up: Chengdu Rongcheng Stay Top, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger Beat Zhejiang 2-1 to Move Out of Relegation Zone

On the evening of September 6 at Zhengzhou Hanghai Stadium, the air carried the smell of scorched grass, while chants had built up from the stands throughout the match. No one expected Chengdu Rongcheng, who entered the game with an 11-point lead, to fail to open the champagne for an early title celebration.

Henan turned the match into a grinding battle, with 10 yellow cards cutting Rongcheng's attack into pieces. They had zero shots on target, not because of poor finishing, but because they could barely find comfortable space to shoot. Even with high possession, their final touch was often ineffective and they could not find dangerous areas.

Before the match, everyone had calculated the scenario: if Rongcheng beat Henan, they would win the first Chinese Super League title in club history with four rounds remaining. Instead, Henan built a defensive wall in front of the penalty area and would rather take cards than allow Rongcheng to advance smoothly. When the scoreboard showed 0-0, the coach on Rongcheng's bench gripped the tactics board so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The standings now show Rongcheng leading with 52 points after 26 rounds, while Dalian Yingbo moved up to 40 points after a win. According to CSL regulations, the two teams have not completed both league meetings this season, so the gap alone was not enough and the title could not be sealed in this round. The real crowning moment was pushed to October 10, when Rongcheng host Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and one point would basically allow them to lift the trophy.

Do not think this is merely about waiting a few extra days. The longer a championship is delayed, the more opportunities there are for changes.

While the title race slowed down, the race for Asian competition places remained intense. Beijing Guoan, Yunnan Yukun and Qingdao West Coast are all on 38 points, packed closely together. Guoan are unbeaten in 12 straight rounds, Yukun's 54 goals are unmatched in the CSL, and West Coast are one draw away from matching the league record of 15 draws. No team has closed the door on its chances, and no one can relax.

Shandong Taishan also produced a striking moment this round. Cryzan scored after just 17 seconds, entering the fifth-fastest goal list in CSL history. What does 17 seconds mean? Many fans had just found their seats or opened their water bottles when the ball was already hitting the net. The goal showed that Taishan's opening positioning and pressing had targeted the opponent's weakness in advance.

If the title race is like a slow battle of attrition, the relegation fight is direct combat, with every challenge carrying huge consequences.

Wuhan Three Towns drew 2-2 at home with Qingdao West Coast and moved to 20 points; Dalian Yingbo beat Qingdao Hainiu 2-1, leaving Hainiu with a nine-game CSL losing streak, only 14 points after 26 rounds and firmly at the bottom. More importantly, Three Towns' point earned before the match pushed Tianjin Jinmen Tiger below them and back into the relegation zone.

Therefore, Tianjin's match against Zhejiang was not an ordinary fight for points, but a battle for survival. They simply could not afford to lose.

In the sixth minute, Zhejiang goalkeeper Zhao Bo came out to clear the ball but missed, allowing Hadas to react quickly and score into an empty net. Tianjin fans had only started shouting before their voices reached the highest level. Then, in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Mitryushkin scored with a long-range shot from outside the box that went in off the post, leveling the score.

At that moment, the Tianjin coach on the sideline squeezed his water bottle until it changed shape. He knew that in this kind of contest, whoever made the first mistake would be punished. The 2-1 threshold was right there: crossing it meant relief, failing meant a huge setback.

In the 72nd minute, substitute Ji Shengpan connected with a Hadas pass and scored with a deflected finish at the far post. TEDA Football Stadium erupted instantly, with fans jumping and shouting despite their hoarse voices.

A 2-1 win gave Jinmen Tiger their first victory in the last five rounds. They have collected five points in their last three matches and have 22 points from 26 rounds with one game in hand, only two points ahead of Three Towns, who have played 24 matches.

The phrase 'one game in hand' is worth more than gold in the relegation battle. On September 12, Tianjin will host Liaoning Tieren in a six-point match that neither side can afford to lose. Liaoning Tieren lost 0-5 away to Yunnan Yukun this round, with one draw and four losses in their last five matches. They have 25 points and are only five points above the relegation zone.

If Tianjin can win the postponed match, the 10-point deduction they suffered at the start of the season will begin to be recovered. If they drop points, the pressure will remain until the end no matter how hard they fight. Starting the season with a 10-point hole, reaching 22 points only moved them slightly away from the edge and is far from a reason to relax.

The five points earned in these three rounds are extremely valuable. Their opponents were Shanghai Shenhua, Yunnan Yukun and Zhejiang, none of whom were easy teams. Taking points from Shenhua and surviving the intense battles against Yukun and Zhejiang was not luck, but the result of maintaining defensive structure and having foreign players like Hadas deliver in key moments.

However, there is no need to overpraise them. Tianjin's recovery is more like temporarily filling the biggest holes rather than solving all problems. A mistake in attack or a lapse in defense could send them back toward the relegation zone. The September 12 postponed match will be the clearest test.

The most striking thing about this round was not simply who won or lost, but how tightly packed the standings became. Rongcheng lead with 52 points, while second through fifth place are separated by only two points. Bottom side Hainiu have 14 points, 13th-place Tieren have 25, and the 11 teams in between are separated by only 14 points. The middle and lower sections are engaged in intense close combat.

With the league taking this shape, a title challenge can be delayed by a 0-0 draw, and a relegation battle can change instantly because of one mistake. The two matches on September 6 looked ordinary, but they clearly showed the harshest sides of the CSL.

On one side is a title race where a team leading by more than ten points still has to wait until next month for official confirmation; on the other is a relegation struggle where one win brings relief and one defeat could cause collapse. Which version of the league do you prefer? Share your thoughts.