Breakpoint

The Chinese Super League gets back on the road after the international break, but no sooner has the season resumed, than it could all be over, if Shenhua fail to beat Liaoning away from home. Failure to beat the dongbei side, would leave the Hongkou stadium side relying on old foes Beijing Guoan to do them a favour tonight at Gongti against Shandong.

Shenhua currently sit six points behind leaders Shandong. Anything less than a victory for the boys in blue will hand Shandong a huge advantage as we approach the business end of the season. Shenhua haven’t exactly set the form book on fire of late, winning two, drawing two and losing one of their last five matches. Opponents Liaoning gave Shandong a 4-1 drubbing on their visit a few weeks ago, so they are no mugs and current sit in 5th place, two points behind 3rd placed Guoan.

Guoan are out of the championship race but will want to keep face and throw a spanner in Shandong’s works. In a sense, Beijing will be happy no matter what the result – a victory against the league leaders will be a morale-boosting win, defeat comes with the consolation of knowing their hated rivals from the south will go yet another year without any silverware.

Victories for Beijing and Shenhua are the prefered outcomes for all Chinese Super League fans except Shandong and Liaoning.