A series of key battles are about to be staged, and the 9th round of the 2024 Chinese Super League season is about to kick off. As the current leaders of the league, Shanghai Shenhua will face the Cangzhou Lions, the biggest dark horse of the season, and Beijing Guoan will also usher in the Beijing-Tianjin derby with the Jinmen Tigers, and all teams will be fighting hard for their goals.
Shenhua is looking to extend their unbeaten streak, and Cangzhou Lions are looking to continue to surprise them
Shanghai Shenhua has become the leader of the Chinese Super League this season with its recent solid performance. In the last round of the league, Shenhua drew 1-1 at home to Shanghai Port, showing the team's tenacious fighting spirit. As a result, Slutsky's side maintained their unbeaten record.
As the biggest dark horse of the season, the Cangzhou Lions, this time to Shanghai Shenhua's home stadium, it will undoubtedly be a test. The Cangzhou Lions lost 2-3 to the Henan team in the last round and suffered a regrettable defeat. But before that, they had played a good record of 4 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses, ranking 6th in the standings, which shows that the strength of this team should not be underestimated.
In this contest, Shenhua is undoubtedly the side with home advantage and a stronger lineup. However, the Cangzhou Lions have performed brilliantly recently, relying on the brave play of Oscar and Ewell, they have become the biggest dark horse this season. Whether Shenhua can successfully stop Cangzhou's undefeated pace and continue its undefeated record will undoubtedly be a major attraction.
Guoan wants to use the Beijing-Tianjin derby to break into the top three, and the Jinmen Tigers hope to use home advantage to reverse the decline
Another key battle is undoubtedly the Beijing-Tianjin derby. Beijing Guoan, a Chinese Super League powerhouse, have been in good form recently, beating Zhejiang 2-1 away in the last round and finishing fourth in the standings. If they can beat the Jinmen Tigers in this game, they have a good chance of breaking into the top three.
For the Jinmen Tigers, the recent performance has indeed had some ups and downs. In the last round, they lost 1-2 to Wuhan Three Towns, suffered three rounds of winless, and the team's ranking also slipped to seventh place. This time against Guoan at home, the Jinmen Tigers must go all out and try to reverse the decline.
From the perspective of squad strength, Guoan does have a slight advantage. However, the Tigers are playing at home, and they are yet to win their first home game this season, which is undoubtedly a big pressure for them. Whether Guoan can break through the top three in one fell swoop with the help of the Beijing-Tianjin derby, and whether the Jinmen Tigers can reverse the decline by virtue of home advantage, is undoubtedly the highlight of this contest.
The other focus battles have their own powers
In addition to the above two major focuses, there are some other exciting battles worth paying attention to in this round of the Chinese Super League.
In the competition, Shandong Taishan will host the relegation team Nantong Zhiyun. Taishan won 1-0 away at Chengdu Rongcheng in the last round and achieved a hard-won victory. Nantong Zhiyun defeated Qingdao West Coast 2-0 in the last round and is also trying to rely on its own performance to relegate. This contest will test whether the Tarzans can maintain their lead.
Another game worth looking forward to is the clash between Zhejiang and Henan. The Zhejiang team lost 1-2 to Guoan in the last round and suffered a difficult defeat. The Henan team reversed the Cangzhou Lions 3-2 in the last round, and the team's morale was high. Both teams are currently level on points and this clash will help establish a standings advantage between the two sides.
In the relegation battle, Yatai will host Shenzhen Xinpeng City. As Yatai, which is at the bottom of the standings, whether the new coach Xie Hui can usher in the first victory in this round is undoubtedly a matter of concern. Xinpeng City's recent form has not been ideal, can they seize the opportunity to score three points away from home?
In addition, Qingdao Manatee will host Shanghai Port, and the two teams are evenly matched, and it will be a difficult battle to solve. The contest between Chengdu Rongcheng and Wuhan Three Towns, as well as the Hakka in Meizhou and the west coast of Qingdao, is also eye-catching. Each team will give it their all for their goals, and there is nothing to be expected.
This round of the Chinese Super League will stage many key battles, and teams with different goals will show their talents. Whether Shenhua can continue its unbeaten record and whether Guoan can take the opportunity to break into the top three, the performance of each team is worth waiting for. The excitement of the Chinese Super League continues, let's look forward to these exciting games together!