Dalian Yingbo win Chinese Super League title as Chengdu lose finale

Dalian Yingbo won the Chinese Super League title on Sunday, Reuters reported, after a final round that ended with Chengdu Rongcheng beaten. Dalian defeated Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 3-1 at home, while John Aloisi's Chengdu lost 3-2 away to Shandong Taishan. FotMob's completed match records confirmed both results.

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Chengdu had entered the last round on 52 points, three ahead of Dalian. The combination of a defeat for the leaders and victory for their challengers therefore brought the clubs level on 52. The league's classification rules put head-to-head results ahead of overall goal difference, and Dalian's record against Chengdu decided the championship.

At Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium, Yang Mingrui opened the scoring in the fifth minute. Tianjin responded through a Xadas penalty in the 50th, leaving the home side needing to find another goal. Liao Jintao made it 2-1 in the 70th minute, before substitute Huang Shan added Dalian's third in stoppage time. FotMob recorded assists from Mamadou Traore for Liao and Bi Jinhao for Huang.

Chengdu's match in Jinan also swung through several stages. Raphael Merkies scored after 15 minutes and Guilherme Madruga doubled Shandong's advantage eight minutes later. Felipe reduced the deficit in the 38th minute, but Cryzan made it 3-1 in the 63rd. Wellington Silva scored Chengdu's second in the 79th minute; the visitors could not find the equaliser that would have lifted them above Dalian on points.

The results completed sharply contrasting league finishes. Dalian had beaten Qingdao Hainiu 2-1, Qingdao West Coast 4-0 and Shenzhen Peng City 3-1 before a 1-0 victory at Chengdu in the penultimate round. Sunday's win extended that sequence to five successive league victories, a run worth the maximum 15 points.

Chengdu, by contrast, finished with four consecutive league defeats. A goalless draw with Henan had been followed by losses to Tianjin, Shanghai Port and Dalian before the final setback at Shandong. Those five fixtures produced just one point. Their two goals in Jinan ended a four-match league scoring drought, but were not enough to preserve their place at the top.