September 2: Chengdu Rongcheng Edge Liaoning 2-1 to Reach 51 Points and Stay 14 Ahead, Despite Only One Win in Last Nine Matches

On August 29, 2026, Chengdu Rongcheng defeated Liaoning Tieren 2-1 at home in the 25th round of the Chinese Super League, reaching 51 points and taking a full 14-point lead over second-place Beijing Guoan.

However, no one is saying the title is already secured. The league leaders have earned only one win in their last nine league matches and have become a major focus for the entire league. Another three points against Henan Club Caitaofang in the next round would deliver the club's first CSL trophy, provided they avoid a mistake at the final step.

Rongcheng did not have an easy victory on August 29. Before the match, they had just suffered a 5-4 defeat against Shanghai Shenhua, conceding five goals in a single match, a club record for goals conceded in the CSL. The team urgently needed a win to stabilize its situation. In the 26th minute, Wang Ziming crossed from the left and Felipe scored with a header inside the box to give Rongcheng a 1-0 lead.

Only one minute into the second half, Ruza launched a counterattack and Wellington Silva broke into the box from the right before scoring with a deflected shot from a tight angle, making it 2-0. But in the 70th minute, Liaoning Tieren's Zhefinio capitalized on a Rongcheng defensive error and scored on the counterattack, cutting the score to 2-1. Rongcheng held on through defensive efforts for the remaining time to secure the three points.

After the match, Wei Shihao held a megaphone and told the fans: "In the next match against Henan, we will give everything and bring the championship back to Chengdu."

The win extended Rongcheng's lead to 14 points, appearing to put them in a strong position, but the other side of the team was exposed in the 5-4 defeat to Shanghai Shenhua on August 22. Rongcheng hosted Shenhua and many expected the leaders to comfortably collect three points and strengthen their position at the top, but Shenhua produced a 5-4 comeback victory in an attacking contest.

Conceding five goals in one match, with the attack producing but the defense collapsing, led outsiders to raise serious questions about Rongcheng's dominance for the first time.

Looking back, these problems did not appear overnight. After the 23rd round ended on August 15, Rongcheng still held a lead of more than 10 points and remained in control. But Beijing Guoan's 3-0 win over Shanghai Shenhua in the postponed 18th-round match on August 18 quickly closed the gap, forming a battle for the top positions.

On the same day Rongcheng lost to Shenhua on August 22, Qingdao West Coast defeated Shandong Taishan 2-0 in the Qilu Derby. Taishan dropped to fifth place and their title hopes were effectively ended, but the team then shifted its focus to stopping Rongcheng and competing for an AFC Champions League place.

In the 25th round on August 28, Shandong Taishan defeated Shanghai Shenhua 3-2 and showed clear improvement. This season, the team was subject to a season-based suspension calculation due to disciplinary issues related to AFC competitions and can only obtain qualification for next season's AFC competition through the league or the CFA Cup. Head coach Tang Tian said after the match: "Treat every game as a final and fight with full effort for AFC qualification."

In the same round, Beijing Guoan drew 1-1 with Dalian Yingbo Haifa. A confrontation broke out between the two sides after the match, and the CFL later issued multiple punishments. The officiating standards became noticeably stricter in the second half of the season. Guoan, West Coast and Dalian all have 37 points, forming a tightly contested group fighting for higher positions, with no team wanting the AFC Champions League Two qualification associated with second place, but all having to compete.

According to the rules, the CSL champion directly qualifies for the 2027/28 AFC Champions League Elite, while the runner-up receives only an AFC Champions League Two qualification place. This gap has made the competition for second place more complicated: finishing second may not be the ideal outcome, but failing to compete could leave teams with nothing.

Rongcheng have 51 points and a 14-point lead, and one more win would secure the championship. This simple calculation is clear to everyone, so all teams have focused on preventing Rongcheng from clinching the title early.

From August 15 to August 29, Rongcheng's situation changed from a clear advantage to a difficult fight for results within 14 days. The 5-4 loss to Shenhua damaged outside confidence, while the 2-1 win over Liaoning Tieren provided temporary relief. But the fact that they have only one win in their last nine matches remains, and no opponent will approach Rongcheng as an easy challenge anymore.

Wei Shihao's post-match statement about "bringing the championship back to Chengdu" was both a declaration and a source of pressure. The away match against Henan Club Caitaofang on September 6 is the confirmed 26th-round fixture and the closest point Rongcheng have reached toward the title this season.

In the current CSL standings, Chengdu Rongcheng lead with 51 points, while Beijing Guoan, Qingdao West Coast and Dalian Yingbo Haifa are tied behind them with 37 points, and Shandong Taishan are fifth with 36 points. On September 1, Taishan will host Shanghai Port in the CFA Cup quarterfinals; on September 5, Taishan will host Shenzhen Peng City in the 26th league round; and on September 6, Rongcheng will visit Henan. With only a few rounds remaining, Rongcheng are one win away from the title, but their one-win record in the last nine matches shows that a 14-point lead does not guarantee complete security.